Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2024 Sebastián Yatra Scholarship

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation announced that Latin Grammy–winning singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra will sponsor its prestigious Prodigy Scholarship toward a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music for the 2024 fall semester.

The foundation's scholarship provides up to $200,000 in financial aid for music students in need. Created nine years ago, it has been cosponsored by iconic Latin music creators including: Nicky Jam (2023), Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016), and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

“Joining the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation for their annual Prodigy Scholarship is beautiful because I’m part of something that I would’ve wished for as a young kid. One of my big dreams was to study music at Berklee, and although my career took a different path, which I’m super grateful for, I would’ve loved to have that kind of preparation and knowledge,” said Yatra. “I hope that the person who gets this opportunity takes full advantage of the scholarship and enjoys it to the max. I’ll be looking out for applicants that share a lot of heart and sincerity in their art.”

The scholarship announcement comes as a follow-up to the artist’s role as host during the 24th annual Latin Grammys where he both performed and shared on-air about his enthusiasm for the foundation, inviting the world to join in and support Latin music education. The Colombian American artist first joined forces with the foundation in 2019 for Latin Grammy in the Schools in Miami, an educational experience for middle school and high school music students to learn about the industry from talented Latin artists and music professionals.

Additionally, Gibson Gives, Gibson's philanthropic arm, will sponsor three Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $10,000 each for students pursuing a music education with electric or acoustic guitar as their principal instrument.

Applications for all 44 scholarships available in 2024 are now open and available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25. The additional 43 scholarships available in addition to the Sebastián Yatra Scholarship are as follows:

• Three (3) Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000 each will be awarded to students to cover tuition costs towards a four-year bachelor's degree in music starting in fall 2023 at the university of their choice.
• Three (3) Gibson Gives Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to students pursuing a music education with electric or acoustic guitar as their principal instrument. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition costs over one year (fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters) and includes a Gibson guitar.
• Thirty-seven (37) Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in music. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition costs over one year (fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters).

To date, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation has awarded 383 scholarships, investing $7.6 million over the last nine years.

“Our scholarships provide more than just funds for college tuition,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. “The ongoing support we receive from artists such as Sebastián Yatra and our generous sponsors allows us to take it a step further and create meaningful educational and mentoring opportunities for the next generation of Latin music creators.”

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is accepting applications for all 2024 scholarships from December 14, 2023, to April 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Review the 2024 guidelines and apply. The application includes two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, two essays, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university. Materials can be submitted in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

For information and the latest news, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.

About the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation    

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by the Latin Recording Academy in 2014 with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. The foundation provides educational opportunities through scholarships, education programs, and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage, and to date has donated more than $9.3 million with the support of the Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors, and other generous donors. 

About Sebastián Yatra

Sebastián Yatra is a leading force in Latin music today. The Colombian-born singer-songwriter has shown there's no limit to his artistry and composition through his hits that explore sounds spanning the Latin genre, including pop, urban, and traditional music influences. Since launching with his debut album, Mantra, in 2018, Yatra's songs have amassed over 37 billion combined streams across all digital music platforms and 26 RIAA certifications. In 2022, he won two Latin Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album for his third LP, Dharma. That same year, "Dos Oruguitas," the song Yatra performed for the Disney movie Encanto, was nominated for an Academy Award and saw him perform the RIAA-platinum single on the Oscar’s stage. In February, Dharma was also nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Yatra is currently working on his fourth album. His recent hits include "Energía Bacana,” which he performed at the Latin Grammys as a cohost this year, and "VAGABUNDO," which is certified Latin platinum in the U.S. The chart-topping talent has collaborated with a variety of peers, including John Legend, Rita Wilson, the Jonas Brothers, Michael Bublé, Ricky Martin, Carlos Vives, Myke Towers, Manuel Turizo, and others.

About Gibson Gives

For over 130 years, the iconic and leading American instrument brand Gibson has been shaping sound across generations and genres. Gibson, and its charitable arm, Gibson Gives, believe in the power of music and that getting instruments into the hands of those with a desire to make music is a life-changing event. Gibson Gives, a 501(c)(3), is committed to making the world a better place by supporting nonprofit organizations and programs in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused education, music, health, and wellness initiatives. One hundred percent of all donations to and from Gibson Gives go towards giving the gift of music. In the last three years, Gibson Gives has raised over $4.5 million and enabled $46 million in funding for key organizations through product donations and meaningful giving worldwide. For more information, visit gibsongives.org.