The Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award honors the life and achievements of educator, conductor, and arranger Brazeal Dennard. This award recognizes individuals or organizations whose work builds on Dennard's commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and furthering African American choral traditions and other diverse choral music traditions through performance, research, or the creation of new compositions of significance.
For the 2023 Awards cycle, this award is open to individuals only.
The funding that has created this award has been provided by individual donors who worked closely with Brazeal Dennard, and who continue to benefit from what they learned from him over a career that spanned more than 60 years. The establishment of this award is in keeping with Chorus America’s goal to celebrate those that intentionally include diverse perspectives and approaches in their work. Click here for more information about Brazeal Dennard.
This award will be given periodically in recognition of a member chorus or individual for their efforts specifically in the areas of:
- Diversity and inclusiveness, and/or
- Furthering diverse music traditions, particularly that of African Americans
The award will recognize one or more of the following activities:
- Performance
- Recordings or other methods of dissemination
- Research
- Creation of new compositions of significance
The winner receives an engraved plaque and a cash prize of $2,500.
Applicants for the Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award must be members of Chorus America. Individuals may self-nominate for this award.
Recipients of this award will be eligible to reapply in three years.
Eligibility rotates through a two-year cycle:
- 2023 Awards Cycle: Individuals
- 2024 Awards Cycle: Ensemble or organization
The deadline to submit via the Chorus America Application Portal (CAAP) is Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 11:59PM ET.
Please submit a letter of no more than 3 pages that includes the following:
- Describe why the nominated individual meets the criteria for the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award.
- Describe how this award will benefit the individual or field. Please be as specific as possible.
- If nominating an individual, please include an overview of the individual’s career as well as specific examples as to why they are qualified for the award.
Applications will only be accepted through CAAP.
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2023 |
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2022 |
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| 2021 | |
| 2020 | Jacksonville Children's Chorus |
| 2019 | Singing City |
| 2018 | Brazeal Dennard Chorale |
| 2017 | Anthony Leach |
| 2016 | VocalEssence |
| 2015 | Boston Children's Chorus |
| 2014 |
Questions? Contact Karyn Castro at 202.331.7577 x246 or [email protected]