John Lennon Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by BMI Foundation
Overview
The John Lennon Award is a yearly songwriting competition for student composers working in contemporary styles — including alternative, pop, rock, indie, electronica, R&B, and experimental music. Over the last twenty years, the program has distributed in excess of $400,000 in scholarships to promising young musicians across the United States, making it one of the country’s most respected honors for emerging songwriters.
History and purpose
Founded in 1997 by Yoko Ono in partnership with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program commemorates the legacy of one of the 20th century’s most influential songwriters. John Lennon’s body of work — from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “Strawberry Fields” to “Imagine,” “I Am the Walrus,” “All You Need Is Love,” and “Come Together” — continues to inspire new generations of artists and listeners worldwide.
Scholarships and judging
Thanks to the support of Yoko Ono and Gibson Musical Instruments, three scholarships totaling $20,000 are awarded each year for the strongest original song submissions. Entries are evaluated by an esteemed panel made up of music publishers, songwriters, musicians, and industry executives. The competition is overseen by BMI’s Samantha Cox (Vice President, Creative, New York) and Tim Pattison (Director, Creative, New York), who together bring more than 30 years of experience helping develop the careers of emerging songwriters and artists.
Eligibility
All applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Be between the ages of 17 and 24 on February 15, 2025.
- Reside in the United States or its territories.
- Submit only one application to any single BMI Foundation awards program.
- Not enter the same song in more than one BMI Foundation awards program.
- Submit only works that have not been signed to a major music publisher or major record label.
- Not be a previous winner of the John Lennon Award (honorable-mention recipients are eligible to apply again).
Co-written works
If your entry is co-written, it must follow these rules:
- A co-written song may include no more than three writers in total.
- Every co-writer must satisfy the eligibility requirements listed above.
- One songwriter must be designated as the songwriter of record and is responsible for submitting the application.
- A songwriter may be the songwriter of record on only one submission.
- Songwriters of record and their co-writers may appear as co-writers on other submissions (as long as all eligibility rules are met).
- Any scholarship awarded for a co-written entry will be divided equally among the credited songwriters, with each co-writer receiving their share.
- Only songwriters should be named as co-writers on the submission — do not list performers, producers, or other non-writing contributors.
Application materials
- One audio file of the original song.
- A lyric sheet for the song. Lyrics may be in any language; if they are not in English, include an English translation.
Deadline
Deadline: January 15, 2026