Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, 2027

The University of Louisville offers an international prize in recognition of outstanding achievement by a living composer in a large musical genre: choral, orchestral, chamber, electronic, song-cycle, dance, opera, musical theater, extended solo work and more. The award will be granted for a work premiered during the five-year period prior to the award deadline, January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2025.

Each nomination for the Grawemeyer Music Award must be nominated by a professional musical organization or individual, as described above. A composer may not submit his or her own work. No more than one work of any composer may be submitted, and nominations from previous winners of this award will not be considered.

• One physical bound copy of the full score. This is the only item to be physically mailed to the University at the address provided in the online nomination form.

   

• Mailing Address:
• Grawemeyer Music Award
• School of Music, University of Louisville
• 2301 S. 3rd Street
• Louisville, KY 40292 USA

The remaining materials will be submitted electronically in the online nomination form:

•  
  • One excellent quality recording of the complete work (MP3, WAV, FLAC, MP4 or MOV). For multi-movement works, you may upload a single .zip file containing all of the movements.  Please omit tuning, opening applause, spoken commentary such as radio interviews or conductor’s remarks, or any other extraneous material at the beginning or end of the audio files. Video should only be uploaded if the work includes a significant visual component.
  • Documentation of the premiere public performance of the work between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2025 (PDF). A radio broadcast or sound recording does not constitute a premiere. The printed program from the premiere performance is preferred. However, if this is not available, another form of documentation, such as a published review, or a newspaper or magazine article, will be accepted.  Only one form of documentation should be included. Works may be resubmitted during the period of eligibility.
  • Program notes and texts/libretto (if applicable) in English or with English translation (PDF).
  • Supporting letter in English from the nominator (PDF), which must state nominator’s relation to the submitted work and nominator’s belief in the outstanding qualities of the work.
  • Composer’s biography in English, which should briefly outline the composer’s total achievement and recognition.
  • Completed nomination form in English.
  • Non-refundable handling fee of fifty dollars ($50.00 in U.S. currency). Payment must be made at the credit card link in the online nomination form (Visa and Mastercard Only).    

  • In the case of resubmission, entrants need not resubmit scores or recordings as these will be retrieved from the Grawemeyer Collection of Contemporary Music. However, all other required materials must be resubmitted, and the handling fee paid.

    Questions may be addressed via e-mail to the Award’s director at matthew.ertz@louisville.edu or grawmus@louisville.edu.