The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation announced on Thursday (Dec. 14) that Sebastián Yatra will sponsor the next four-year Prodigy Scholarship that will fully fund a student’s bachelor’s degree in music at Berklee School of Music starting in the fall 2024.
“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 Sebastián Yatra in a statement. “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 foundation’s scholarship, created nine years ago, holds a maximum value of $200,000 in financial aid for music students in need. The scholarship is traditionally awarded to “exceptionally talented music students, with financial needs, to support their educational and musical aspirations,” according to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
The news of the scholarship follows the singer-songwriter’s stint as a host at the 24th Annual Latin Grammys, during which he performed and expressed his passion for the Foundation on-air, encouraging global support for Latin music education. The Colombian superstar initially partnered with the Foundation in 2019 for the Latin Grammy In The Schools program in Miami.
“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.”
In addition, Gibson Gives, the charitable division of Gibson, will provide sponsorship for three Tuition Assistance Scholarships. Each scholarship could be worth up to $10,000 and is intended for students who aim to study music, with the electric or acoustic guitar as their main instrument. Applications for all 44 scholarships available in 2024 are now open and available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25.
For more details and/or to apply, visit www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.
In previous years, the Prodigy Scholarship has been co-sponsored by Latin stars 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).
