Ten music teachers from around the country have been announced as finalists for the 2025 Music Educator Award and one of those is a Lakeland resident. The award honors educators who have made significant contributions to music education, with the ultimate honoree to be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2025. JD Frizzell, who was also nominated for the award last year, is once again a finalist. Mr. Frizzell is the Director of Fine Arts and Director of Vocal Music at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, TN, where he is responsible for coordinating all Fine Arts programs. He is also the owner of Lakeland Health & Fitness on Huff N Puff Road.
A total of 10 music teachers from 10 cities across eight states have been announced as finalists for the Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. These finalists were selected from more than 2,400 nominations submitted from 49 states. The Music Educator Award honors teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to music education and demonstrate a deep commitment to maintaining music programs in schools. Finalists for the award will be announced in December, and the ultimate recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2025, just before the 2025 Grammys.
The Music Educator Award is open to current U.S. music teachers. Anyone can nominate a teacher, including students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Each year, the Music Educator Award recipient is selected from 10 finalists and receives a $10,000 honorarium, along with a matching grant for their school’s music program. The nine remaining finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium with matching school grants. The 15 semifinalists who are not selected as finalists will receive a $500 honorarium and a matching grant for their school.
The award program is supported by The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, with additional support from the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association.
