John Lennon Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by BMI Foundation
Intro
The John Lennon Award is an annual songwriting competition for student composers working in contemporary styles such as alternative, pop, rock, indie, electronica, R&B, and experimental music. Since its inception, the program has become one of the country’s most respected honors for up-and-coming songwriters — over the last twenty years it has distributed more than $400,000 in scholarship support to young musicians across the United States.
History and Prize
Founded in 1997 by Yoko Ono in partnership with the BMI Foundation, the award commemorates the legacy of John Lennon, whose songwriting — including songs like “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Strawberry Fields,” “Imagine,” “I Am the Walrus,” “All You Need Is Love,” and “Come Together” — continues to influence new generations. Each year, thanks to the generosity of Yoko Ono and Gibson Musical Instruments, three scholarships totaling $20,000 are granted to the most outstanding original songs entered in the contest. Submissions are evaluated by a distinguished panel of music publishers, songwriters, performers, and industry executives. The competition is administered under the oversight of BMI New York Creative leadership — Samantha Cox (Vice President, Creative) and Tim Pattison (Director, Creative) — who together have more than 30 years of experience developing emerging songwriting talent.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be between 17 and 24 years old on February 15, 2025.
- Applicants must reside in the United States or its territories.
- Each person may enter only one submission per BMI Foundation awards program.
- A single song may not be entered in more than one BMI Foundation awards program.
- Submitted works must not be assigned to any major music publisher.
- Previous John Lennon Award winners are ineligible to apply again; however, those who previously received only an honorable mention are permitted to reapply.
Co-Written Works
- Co-written songs may include no more than three total writers.
- Every co-writer must meet the eligibility criteria listed above.
- One songwriter of record must submit the entry on behalf of the co-writers.
- A songwriter may serve as the songwriter of record for only one submission.
- Songwriters of record and their co-writers may still appear as co-writers on other submissions.
- If a co-written entry wins, the prize will be divided equally among the credited songwriters, and each co-writer will receive award recognition.
- Only individuals who contributed as songwriters should be listed as co-writers; performers, producers, or other non-writing contributors should not be included.
Application Materials
- Each entry must include a single audio file and a lyric sheet for the original song.
- Lyrics may be submitted in any language; if they are not in English, an English translation must be provided.