Black Music City – a collaboration between WRTI, WXPN and REC Philly that awards grants, provides a mentoring network, and creates a showcase for Black artists of any genre – is accepting applications from artists until February 3, 2025.
A virtual information session is being held January 28 for artists to learn more about the grants.
Now in its fifth year, Black Music City is a program that calls upon Black creatives in the greater Philadelphia area (PA, NJ, DE) working in ANY creative medium to submit project ideas honoring Philly's Black music heritage and apply for a project grant.
Selected artists will be awarded $1,500, $3,000 or $5,000 each to turn their vision into reality and contribute to the city’s legacy. A committee of prominent Black Philadelphia professionals in the arts, media, and business (including WRTI’s J. Michael Harrison) will judge the final round of applicants to be awarded the $125,000 in grant funding available for 2025.
In 2024, 30 grantees that spanned a range of musicians, visual artists and other creative individuals were celebrated at the Black Music City Showcase, a free event held at World Cafe Live and hosted by Seraiah Nicole.
In May of 2023, Black Music City was honored by The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia at the 2023 Arts + Business Council Awards, celebrating projects that demonstrate impactful collaborations between the local arts and business sectors.
Black Music City grant winners will be announced in March, and the deadline for artists to apply is February 3, 2025. Find out more and apply here.