We Are Moving The Needle empowers women, trans, and non-binary producers and engineers to succeed at the highest levels of the music industry through scholarships and grants, mentorship, research, and advocacy. Since 2021, We Are Moving The Needle has awarded over $600,000 in scholarships to women and non-binary creators to attend premier audio workshops and programs around the world. Working with top producers, artists, and engineers, our distinguished alumni represent the future of the recording industry.
We Are Moving The Needle is proud to announce the launch of three new named scholarship funds this cycle:
This March, We Are Moving The Needle’s Scholarship and Grants Program is launching an open call for applications to support women, trans, and non-binary creators pursuing degrees in music production, audio engineering, and related fields. Scholarships will be awarded at the $5,000 and $10,000 level, and are aimed at providing meaningful support for creators behind the board and closing the gender gap in the recording industry.
Application Deadline: Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
**Award notifications will be sent Monday, May 26.**
💡 Scholarship Details:
Timeline: These scholarships are for students enrolled in the Fall 2025 - Spring 2026 academic year.
What’s Covered: We Are Moving The Needle scholarships provide direct education support to students at eligible educational institutions, defined as tuition and fees, and course-related expenses including books, supplies, and equipment that are required by their department, program, or faculty for coursework.
Funding: Scholarships are one-time awards of $5,000 and $10,000, dependent on the fund.
💡 Eligibility Requirements:
Scholarships will be awarded in alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s mission to empower women, trans, and non-binary creators in the music industry with a demonstrated commitment to production and engineering.
This program is open to students pursuing Associates, Bachelors, and Graduate degrees in Audio Engineering, Sound Technology, Audio Production or similar programs at accredited and qualifying educational institutions. This scholarship cannot support non-degree intensive programs or pre-existing We Are Moving The Needle scholarship partnerships, including the Los Angeles Academy for Artists and Music Producers (LAAMP), pointblank Music School, IO Music Academy, or others.
All applicants must be currently enrolled in an audio engineering, sound technology, audio production or similar program OR have clearly demonstrated commitment to a career in audio production or engineering. This includes incoming first-year students in qualified programs as well as returning students.
Scholarship applicants will be reviewed for: 1) Alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s scholarship qualifications (stated above), 2) Clearly defined goals and demonstrated commitment to work in the field that would benefit from this opportunity.
Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent residents.
Applicants must be at least 18 on or before May 26, 2025 in order to receive this scholarship.
All application materials must be submitted in English.
In compliance with industry standards, We Are Moving The Needle expects that written materials and work samples have meaningful contribution from the applicant. Any usage of generative artificial intelligence in work samples must be disclosed in your application.
For full details, please review our Scholarships and Grants Frequently Asked Questions.
💡 Are scholarships tax deductible?
As outlined, We Are Moving The Needle scholarships are intended to support direct educational expenses including:
Tuition and fees associated with degree or course enrollment;
Course-related expenses including books, supplies, and equipment that are required by their department, program, or faculty for coursework. Please note: Per IRS guidelines, qualifying equipment and supplies must be clearly required for all students enrolled in the program or course.
Scholarships are awarded directly to students for the purposes outlined and as such may not be considered taxable income, however, students should review IRS guidelines on receiving scholarships for final determinations on income reporting requirements for their particular financial status.
