ISME-Gibson International Awards in Music Education

The ISME-Gibson International Awards in Music Education recognize outstanding achievement and service in the discipline, thereby providing acknowledgement for exemplary music educators and or institutions whose work enriches music education in their home country/region and serves as an exemplar for the ideals of music education internationally.  Normally, recipients are from the host country in which the World Conference will be held, so that ISME and the INA can use the awards to advocate the importance of music education in the host country and to increase media exposure for the ISME World Conference.

Recipients of these prestigious awards receive US$20,000 for projects that advance music education within their school, institution or region. They also receive US$5,000 in musical products and a commemorative Gibson guitar.

ISME-Gibson Community-Based Music Education Awards

The ISME-Gibson Community-Based Music Education Awards are presented to non-profit organizations, located within the region of the next ISME World Conference. Successful organizations (not individuals) must provide evidence that they are able to devise and successfully manage an innovative music education project that targets young people who, through their life circumstances, would greatly benefit from the joy and creativity that can come from a specially designed participatory music program. The aim of the awards is to foster projects that provide opportunities that would not otherwise exist for children and adolescents to learn, experience and actively participate in music.

Examples of suitable community-based music education projects might include work with children and adolescents:

whose economic background leaves them excluded or marginalized;

who live in divided communities or in areas of tension or conflict;

who have emotional, physical or cognitive disabilities;

or that:

seek to help recovering youngsters from street life that led them to be on the margins of the society and therefore unlikely to access formal music education;

set in place innovative networks or collaborations that ensure greater access to music education; or

provide opportunities to train for a future career in music or the music industry.

The ISME-Gibson Community-Based Music Education Awards are announced at an ISME Regional conference so that they can be showcased at the ISME World Conference the following year. 

In addition to funding, projects may be eligible to receive a donation of musical instruments from the Gibson Foundation and, if appropriate, mentoring through the ISME Community Music Commission. All applicants are required to have current ISME membership either through the main proponent (who would need to be an Individual Member of ISME) or as Group Membership of ISME. Individuals or Groups who are not ISME members, may join at the time of submitting their application (membership details are available at: www.isme.org)