JEXA Awards empowers underserved students with music grants for a brighter future.

2023 Young Artist Grant Recipients

Kahil Childs
Alexander Flores
Daniela Lopez
Taichi Okumura
Kaman Richardson

We are pleased to announce the names of the 5 young musicians who will each receive a financial stipend from JEXA Awards, Inc. for music education.

We congratulate the winners and thank all of the talented students who entered the competition.

Emerging Artist & Young Artist Grants

Proceeds from JEXA Awards fundraising activities provide financial assistance to aspiring performers — starting with children in middle school through college — in the form of annual grants for jazz music education.

The grant application windows for our Emerging Artists grants, and our Young Artists grants are currently closed. Click the buttons below to sign up to our interest list, and we will notify you when the next grant application cycle begins.

Meet the JEXA family.

In the spring of 2023, the JEXA Awards hosted its second annual gala at the historic Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. We honored legendary jazz vocalist, Diane Reeves, music icon Dionne Warwick, and the unsung heroes across the USA who hosted Zoom open mics, keeping us connected, jamming, and musically inspired throughout the Pandemic.

Citations on the value of music education to
youth and adolescents.

  • "Music training helps children develop fine motor skills."

    It aids emotional and behavioral maturation as well, according to a new study, one of the largest to investigate the effects of playing an instrument on brain development.

    Amy Ellis Nutt

  • group of adolescent boys

    "Playing music connects different parts of the brain, increasing efficient decision-making skills."

    The heavy-tax of piano playing makes their minds efficient in every way. Studies show that when jazz pianists play, their brains have an extremely efficient connection between the different parts of the frontal lobe.

    Jordan Taylor Sloan

  • “Benefits of music include learning cooperation, compromise and concentration.”

    These skills become invaluable as they enter school, face new challenges, and begin to form new friendships and develop social skills."

    NAMM Foundation

  • Adolescent boys in camraderie

    "Music learning yields benefits to overall development and performance."

    Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education.

    Arte Music Academy