Eligibility

Open to professional music creators at least 21 years old with a minimum of 3 years of professional experience; students are ineligible except PhD/DMA candidates who are ABD (all but dissertation). For the 2026 cycle, applicants must be based in New York State, the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region, or the Midwest. Applicants must not have received a New Music USA individual-program award in 2024-2025, and proposed projects must involve genuinely new work, not revisions of previously presented material.

For the 2026 cycle: New York State; Northeast/Mid-Atlantic states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont); and Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin).

Explanation

Objective Opportunity score 64 for new-music-usa-creator-fund-2026, computed from official-source registry evidence and Opportunity scoring configuration.

The most recently confirmed 2026-cycle application window (November 6-21, 2025) has already closed and awardees have already been announced as of this review; this is a real, recurring annual program, but the next open cycle's dates are not yet confirmed -- verify current availability directly on newmusicusa.org before treating this as immediately actionable. Grant amount is an average/ceiling, not a fixed award.

Review the official foundation source and application path before acting.

Evidence

• Title: New Music Creator Fund
• Issuing Organization: New Music USA
• Official Source: https://newmusicusa.org/program/new-music-creator-fund/
• Opportunity Type: Foundation Community Program Grant
• Eligibility Summary: Open to professional music creators at least 21 years old with a minimum of 3 years of professional experience; students are ineligible except PhD/DMA candidates who are ABD (all but dissertation). For the 2026 cycle, applicants must be based in New York State, the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region, or the Midwest. Applicants must not have received a New Music USA individual-program award in 2024-2025, and proposed projects must involve genuinely new work, not revisions of previously presented material.
• Application Process: Submit through the official online portal with 2-3 audio/video work samples, narrative responses, and a budget breakdown; a mandatory application webinar has historically been required before submitting.
• Geography: For the 2026 cycle: New York State; Northeast/Mid-Atlantic states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont); and Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin).
• Source Trust Tier: tier_1_official_primary
• Oip Reviewed Date: 2026-08-04
• Re Verification Due Date: 2026-09-01