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 Jan. 31, 2024.
Now in its fourth 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 receive a grant of $1,500 – $5,000 each to bring their projects to life. A committee of prominent Black Philadelphia professionals in the arts, media, and business (including WRTI’s Greg Bryant) will judge the final round of applicants to be awarded the $125,000 in grant funding available for 2024.
In 2023, 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.
The deadline for artists to apply is Jan. 31, 2024. Find out more and apply here.