NAfME BLOG
202 NAfME Members Named 2025 GRAMMY Music Educator AwardTM Quarterfinalists
202 of the 2025 Music Educator AwardTM Quarterfinalists Are NAfME Members
The Music Educator Award Is Presented by The Recording AcademyTM and the GRAMMY Museum®
The Recording Academy™ and GRAMMY Museum® has announced 215 quarterfinalists for the 2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Award™, and of that number, 202 are currently members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME)*. Nominations from 202 cities were submitted. In addition to the quarterfinalists, 159 legacy applicants from 2024 will also be eligible to win the award this year, and of that number, 78 are currently members of NAfME*. From elementary general music teachers to band directors, choral conductors, string teachers, and college professors, NAfME congratulates these exemplary, dedicated music educators.
The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators — kindergarten through college, public and private schools — who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2025, which takes place ahead of the 2025 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 67th GRAMMY Awards.
The twelfth honoree will also be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 67th GRAMMY Awards® and a range of GRAMMY Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Additionally, 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The Music Educator Award program, including the honorariums and matching school grants, is supported by the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation this year. The National Association for Music Education supports this program through outreach to music education supporters.
Semifinalists will be announced later this year.
Nine of the previous eleven GRAMMY Music Educator honorees, Kent Knappenberger, Jared Cassedy, Phillip Riggs, Keith Hancock, Melissa Salguero, Jeffery Redding, Mickey Smith Jr., Pamela Dawson, and Annie Ray—the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient—are NAfME members. The 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient is Jeffrey Murdock, associate professor of music at the University of Arkansas, and the 2022 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient is Stephen Cox, band director at Eastland High School in Eastland, Texas.
Learn more about the Music Educator AwardTM process.
Below is a list of NAfME members who have been named quarterfinalists for the 2025 Music Educator Award. Click here for the full list of 215 quarterfinalists and 159 legacy applicants.
2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Quarterfinalists who are NAfME members
| Amber Yates | Thompson Middle School | Alabaster | Alabama |
| Jonathan Powell | West End High School | Walnut Grove | Alabama |
| Matt Martindale | Shelby County High School | Columbiana | Alabama |
| Taylor Cash | Albertville High School | Albertville | Alabama |
| Christopher Lubken | Robert Service High School | Anchorage | Alaska |
| Michelle Nielsen | Diamond Canyon School | Anthem | Arizona |
| J Alan Landers | Lakenheath High School | APO | Armed Forces |
| Anthony Spano | Culver City High School | Culver City | California |
| Candace Love | August Boeger Middle School | San Jose | California |
| Patrick Aguayo | Rolling Hills Middle School | Los Gatos | California |
| Abigail Martinez | Erie Middle School | Erie | Colorado |
| Katanna Linn | Highlands Ranch High School | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
| Kate Margrave | Pine Creek High School | Colorado Springs | Colorado |
| James Minnix | Central Connecticut State University | New Britian | Connecticut |
| Zachary Thomas | Ledyard High School | Ledyard | Connecticut |
| Jonathan Mracko | Postlethwait Middle School | Camden Wyoming | Delaware |
| Allen Venezio | East River High School | Orlando | Florida |
| Bernie Hendricks, Jr. | Ocoee High School | Ocoee | Florida |
| Cindy Ellis | Miami Arts Studio 6-12 at Zelda Glazer | Miami | Florida |
| Craig Uppercue | Volusia County Schools | Daytona Beach | Florida |
| Daniel Beilman | Oak Park School | Sarasota | Florida |
| Erin Kronzek | Unity School | Delray Beach | Florida |
| Ernesta Chicklowski | Roosevelt Elementary School | Tampa | Florida |
| Jennifer Jimenez | South Miami Sr. High School | Miami | Florida |
| Michael Antmann | Freedom High School | Orlando | Florida |
| Stefanie Sagaro | Academy for Innovative Education Charter School | Miami Springs | Florida |
| William J. Molineaux | The Osceola County School for the Arts | Kissimmee | Florida |
| Anthony Pickard | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School | Lithonia | Georgia |
| Jared Duncan | DeKalb School of the Arts | Avondale Estates | Georgia |
| Lenae Rose | Morgan County High School | Madison | Georgia |
| Victoria Warnet | Columbus State University | Columbus | Georgia |
| Michael Richardson | Perry Meridian High School | Indianapolis | Indiana |
| Alex Underwood | Hays High School | Hays | Kansas |
| Cindy Reynolds | Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School | Shawnee | Kansas |
| Curtis Mulvenon | Shawnee Mission West High School | Overland Park | Kansas |
| Jeremy Cole | Southern Middle School | Somerset | Kentucky |
| John Johnson | Boyd County High School | Ashland | Kentucky |
| Lawrence McCrobie | Valley High School | Louisville | Kentucky |
| Cordara Harper | Grambling State University | Grambling | Louisiana |
| Ryan Geary | Sanford High School | Sanford | Maine |
| Barry Chesky | Dulaney High School | Timonium | Maryland |
| Kellie Harvey | Fruitland Primary School | Fruitland | Maryland |
| Adria Smith | Marblehead Community Charter Public School | Marblehead | Massachusetts |
| Jesse Dooley | Millbury Jr./Sr. High School | Millbury | Massachusetts |
| Kathleen McCarthy | Attleboro High School | Attleboro | Massachusetts |
| Kayla Werlin | Longmeadow High School | Longmeadow | Massachusetts |
| Korey Bruno | Westfield High School | Westfield | Massachusetts |
| Natalie Sheeler | Sturgis Charter Public School | Hyannis | Massachusetts |
| Rob Goldman | Westwood High School | Westwood | Massachusetts |
| Matthew Shephard | Meridian Early College High School | Sanford | Michigan |
| Joe DeLisi | Chisago Lakes High School | Lindstrom | Minnesota |
| Andrew Beasley | Pearl High School | Pearl | Mississippi |
| Bobby Helms | Copiah-Lincoln Community College | Wesson | Mississippi |
| Cherie Bowe | Pascagoula High School | Pascagoula | Mississippi |
| Lee Anne Barnes | Thomas Street Elementary School | Tupelo | Mississippi |
| Daniel Gutierrez | Nixa High School | Nixa | Missouri |
| Kimberly Whitehead | Sikeston High School | Sikeston | Missouri |
| Mike Steep | Parkway Northeast Middle School | Creve Coeur | Missouri |
| Stephen Rew | Raymore-Peculiar High School | Peculiar | Missouri |
| Christopher Weddel | Fremont High School | Fremont | Nebraska |
| Chris Pierson | Chaparral High School | Las Vegas | Nevada |
| Robert West | Clark High School | Las Vegas | Nevada |
| Stephen Blanco | Las Vegas High School | Las Vegas | Nevada |
| Alex Sieira | Harrison High School | Harrison | New Jersey |
| Christopher Henke | Kittatinny Regional High School | Newton | New Jersey |
| Eric Laprade | The College of New Jersey | Ewing | New Jersey |
| Jessie Mersinger | New Brunswick High School | New Brunswick | New Jersey |
| Joseph Flores | Mesa Middle School | Roswell | New Mexico |
| Andrew Bennett | Fredonia High School | Fredonia | New York |
| Andrew Pease | Hartwick College | Oneonta | New York |
| Erin McConnell | Camillus Middle School | Camillus | New York |
| Justin Peterson | Middle School 67Q Louis Pasteur | Little Neck | New York |
| Kelly Nieman | Alden Intermediate School | Alden | New York |
| Kelly Seymour | Ballston Spa Middle/High School | Ballston Spa | New York |
| Lawrence Dubill | Hamburg High School | Hamburg | New York |
| Marc Ratner | Mineola High School | Garden City Park | New York |
| Nicole Davidson | Susan E. Wiley Elementary School | Copiague | New York |
| Aria Westbrook | Hawfields Middle School | Mebane | North Carolina |
| Donald Walter | Northwest Guilford High School and Northwest Guilford Middle School | Greensboro | North Carolina |
| Emily Golden | East Burke High School | Connelly Springs | North Carolina |
| Katie Stephens | Charles D. Owen High School | Black Mountain | North Carolina |
| Mallory Norton | Weddington High School | Matthews | North Carolina |
| Nathan Bowman | Southeast Middle School | Salisbury | North Carolina |
| Regan Eudy | Central Elementary School | Albemarle | North Carolina |
| Sarah Fulton | Kings Mountain High School | Kings Mountain | North Carolina |
| Jeremy Overbeck | Century High School | Bismarck | North Dakota |
| Amir Jones | Thomas W. Harvey High School | Painesville | Ohio |
| Bryce Werntz | Oak Hill High School | Oak Hill | Ohio |
| David Roth | Lakeside High School | Ashtabula | Ohio |
| Eric Bable | Crestview High School | Columbiana | Ohio |
| Larry Kennon | Troy Christian Junior High/High School | Troy | Ohio |
| Adam Mewhorter | Southmoore High School | Moore | Oklahoma |
| Angela McKenna | Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast High School | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma |
| Justin Britt | Kingston Public Schools | Kingston | Oklahoma |
| Bobi-Jean Alexander | Seneca Valley Senior High School | Harmony | Pennsylvania |
| Cyndi Mancini | Montour High School | McKees Rocks | Pennsylvania |
| Evelyn Stohlman | Bishop Shanahan High School | Downingtown | Pennsylvania |
| Jason Falvo | Waynesburg Central Elementary | Waynesburg | Pennsylvania |
| Kathleen Amabile | Elk Lake Junior-Senior High School | Springville | Pennsylvania |
| Lou Ribar | Lenape Elementary | Ford City | Pennsylvania |
| Maura Saint | Blackhawk High School | Beaver Falls | Pennsylvania |
| Samantha Leali | Shenango Junior/Senior High School | New Castle | Pennsylvania |
| William Steadman | General McLane High School | Edinboro | Pennsylvania |
| Adrian Maclin | Cordova High School | Memphis | Tennessee |
| Cole Hunt | Burchfield Elementary School | Oneida | Tennessee |
| Jay McCulley | Sunset Middle School | Brentwood | Tennessee |
| Brian Henson | Walnut Grove High School | Prosper | Texas |
| Leigh Ann McClain | Griffin Middle School | The Colony | Texas |
| Preston Pierce | Plano West Senior High School | Plano | Texas |
| Kelly DeHaan | Mountain Ridge High School | Herriman | Utah |
| Kate Wisbey | Charlottesville Catholic School | Charlottesville | Virginia |
| Sonja Jewell | Loudoun Country Day School | Leesburg | Virginia |
| Elliot Weeks | Seattle Preparatory School | Seattle | Washington |
| Ethan Chessin | Camas High School | Camas | Washington |
| Melanie Gunn | Whitman Middle School | Seattle | Washington |
| Mike Scott | Columbia Basin College | Pasco | Washington |
| Nathan Rodahl | Port Angeles High School | Port Angeles | Washington |
| Sarah Hart | Islander Middle School | Mercer Island | Washington |
| Joshua Krohn | Brent Elementary School | Washington | Washington, D.C. |
| Dr. John Carlisle | Hannan JSHS | Ashton | West Virginia |
| Leslie Riedel | Capital High School | Charleston | West Virginia |
| Bridget Duffy-Ulrich | Oshkosh North High School | Oshkosh | Wisconsin |
| Kimberly Meader | Green Bay Preble High School | Green Bay | Wisconsin |
| Mike Fedyszyn | Riverview Middle School | Plymouth | Wisconsin |
2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Legacy Applicants who are NAfME members
| Damion Womack | The Montgomery Academy | Montgomery | Alabama |
| Ryan Diefenderfer | Paradise Valley High School | Phoenix | Arizona |
| Amy Villanova | Canyon Crest Academy | San Diego | California |
| Jason Shiuan | Saratoga High School | Saratoga | California |
| Tony Spano | Culver City High School | Culver City | California |
| Tyler Wigglesworth | West Covina High School | West Covina | California |
| Valerie Vinnard | Webster Elementary | Long Beach | California |
| Kate Klotz | Monarch High School | Louisville | Colorado |
| Wes Sparkes | Eagleview Middle School | Colorado Springs | Colorado |
| Amy Hannequin | Bethel Middle School | Bethel | Connecticut |
| Anthony Ferreira | Suffield High School | West Suffield | Connecticut |
| Lou Kitchner | Bedford Middle School | Westport | Connecticut |
| Patrick Smith | Cooperative Arts High School | New Haven | Connecticut |
| DeAnna Zecchin | Indian River High School | Dagsboro | Delaware |
| Jessica Gronberg | Hawkes Bluff Elementary | Davie | Florida |
| Joani Slawson | Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy | Melbourne | Florida |
| Lance Rauh | Patriot Oaks Academy | St. Johns | Florida |
| Shannon Stem | University Academy | Panama City | Florida |
| Christopher Andrews | Hephzibah High School | Hephzibah | Georgia |
| Devin James | Salem High School | Conyers | Georgia |
| Paula Williams | The Ron Clark Academy | Atlanta | Georgia |
| Susan Boddie | Valdosta State University | Valdosta | Georgia |
| Justin Antos | Dwight D. Eisenhower High School | Blue Island | Illinois |
| Bethany Robinson | Noblesville High School | Noblesville | Indiana |
| James Byrn, Jr. | Maconaquah High School | Bunker Hill | Indiana |
| Shawn Royer | Marian University | Indianapolis | Indiana |
| Cory Joy Craig | Benton Intermediate School | Benton | Louisiana |
| Dayshawn Russell | North Iberville Elementary and High School | Rosedale | Louisiana |
| Hoza Redditt | MSA East Academy | Saint Gabriel | Louisiana |
| Stephanie Robertson | Ponchatoula High School | Ponchatoula | Louisiana |
| Cassandra Sulbarán | Braintree High School | Braintree | Massachusetts |
| Jonathan Eldridge | Weston Public Schools | Weston | Massachusetts |
| Lisa Linde | Newton South High School | Newton | Massachusetts |
| Marcos Carreras | Conservatory of the Arts | Springfield | Massachusetts |
| Matthew Cunningham | Brockton High School | Brockton | Massachusetts |
| Michael Lapomardo | Shrewsbury High School | Shrewsbury | Massachusetts |
| Ashley Sands | Kennedy Secondary School | Fergus Falls | Minnesota |
| Timothy Arnold | Orono High School | Long Lake | Minnesota |
| Joel Hill | Velma Jackson High School & Shirley | Camden | Mississippi |
| Travis Coakley | William Carey University | Hattiesburg | Mississippi |
| Cathryn Burt | East Newton High School | Granby | Missouri |
| Natalie Moore | Sullivan High School | Sullivan | Missouri |
| Tamara Frazier | North Valleys High School | Reno | Nevada |
| Jeanne Andrews | Petway Elementary School | Vineland | New Jersey |
| Antoine Dolberry | P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School | Bronx | New York |
| Catherine Plichta | Theatre Arts Production Company School | Bronx | New York |
| Dawn Amthor | Wallkill Senior High School | Wallkill | New York |
| Harold Stephan | Stuyvesant High School | New York | New York |
| Jessica Torres | Elmont Memorial Jr/Sr High School | Elmont | New York |
| Kathy Perconti | Wayne Central High School | Ontario Center | New York |
| Jennifer Walter | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | North Carolina |
| Amanda Blevins | Tri-Valley High School | Dresden | Ohio |
| Brian Nabors | Shelby High School | Shelby | Ohio |
| David Pope | Baldwin Wallace University | Berea | Ohio |
| Toye Harris | Miami High School | Miami | Oklahoma |
| Coty Raven Morris | Portland State University | Portland | Oregon |
| Brian Querry | Charles A. Huston Middle School | Lower Burrell | Pennsylvania |
| Jennifer DiVasto | Pennridge School District | Perkasie | Pennsylvania |
| Jenny Neff | University of the Arts | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania |
| Jonathan Helmick | Slippery Rock University | Slippery Rock | Pennsylvania |
| Martha Heise | Seventh Street School | Oil City | Pennsylvania |
| Ryan Bulgarelli | Williamsport Area High School | Williamsport | Pennsylvania |
| Nathaniel Gunter | Greer High School | Greer | South Carolina |
| Benjamin Blasko | Lipscomb University | Nashville | Tennessee |
| J.D. Frizzell | Briarcrest Christian School | Eads | Tennessee |
| Vanessa Cobb | Montgomery Central High School | Cunningham | Tennessee |
| Jessie Smith | Yes Prep Public Schools | Houston | Texas |
| John Ware | Stovall Middle School | Houston | Texas |
| Lynn Sweet | Mount Anthony Union High School | Bennington | Vermont |
| Alberto Rodriguez | Mount Vernon High School | Alexandria | Virginia |
| Kyle Cook | Western Branch Middle School | Chesapeake | Virginia |
| Mary Catherine Campbell | Seven Pines Elementary School | Sandston | Virginia |
| Jeff Chang | Decatur High School | Federal Way | Washington |
| Tim O’Donnell | Ephrata High School | Ephrata | Washington |
| Cassandra Nelson | Mountaineer Middle School | Morgantown | West Virginia |
| Chris Hayslette | Bridgeport Middle School | Bridgeport | West Virginia |
| Victor Iapalucci | Phillip Barbour High School | Philippi | West Virginia |
| Lisa Werner | St. Bruno Parish School | Dousman | Wisconsin |
* This number reflects those whose memberships were current at the time of this announcement and is subject to change.
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