Description
The Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award recognizes individuals or organizations whose work furthers diverse African American choral traditions through performance, research, or the creation of new compositions of significance; and demonstrates a long-term commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This award honors the life and achievements of educator, conductor, and arranger Brazeal Wayne Dennard, who championed the breadth of African American works with the Angelic Choir of Peoples Baptist Church, Northwestern High School, Brazeal Dennard Chorale, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
This award will be given in recognition of a member chorus or individual for their sustained efforts specifically in the areas of:
- Furthering diverse African American choral traditions
- Advancing access, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the choral field
The award will recognize one or more of the following activities:
- Performance
- Recordings or other methods of dissemination
- Research
- Creation of new compositions of significance
For the 2025 Awards cycle, this award is open to individuals only.
The winner receives an engraved plaque and $2,500.
Eligibility
Applicants for the Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award must be members of Chorus America. Individuals may self-nominate for this award.
Organization recipients are eligible to reapply after 15 years. Individual recipients may only receive the award once.
Eligibility rotates through a two-year cycle:
- 2025 Awards Cycle: Individuals
- 2026 Awards Cycle: Ensemble or organization
This award is not required to be given annually and will be given at the discretion of the selection panel.
Deadline and Application Requirements
The deadline to submit an application is Friday, January 24, 2025 at 11:59PM ET.
The application includes the following:
- A statement describing how the nominee has furthered diverse African American choral traditions over the course of the individual's career or the organization's history.
- Specific examples of performance, recording, research, and/or new composition(s) of significance in support of the above.
- A statement describing how the individual or organization has demonstrated a sustained commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- A statement describing as specifically as possible how the work of the individual or ensemble has benefited the field.
- One submitted letter of support.
While there are no word limits for narrative questions, we find that concise responses that address the prompt and award rubric criteria in 2-4 paragraphs tend to be most successful.
Click Here to view the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award rubric.
Questions? Contact Vale Southard at vale@chorusamerica.org.
2025 Awards - Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award (Individuals)
Description
The Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award recognizes individuals or organizations whose work furthers diverse African American choral traditions through performance, research, or the creation of new compositions of significance; and demonstrates a long-term commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This award honors the life and achievements of educator, conductor, and arranger Brazeal Wayne Dennard, who championed the breadth of African American works with the Angelic Choir of Peoples Baptist Church, Northwestern High School, Brazeal Dennard Chorale, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
This award will be given in recognition of a member chorus or individual for their sustained efforts specifically in the areas of:
- Furthering diverse African American choral traditions
- Advancing access, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the choral field
The award will recognize one or more of the following activities:
- Performance
- Recordings or other methods of dissemination
- Research
- Creation of new compositions of significance
For the 2025 Awards cycle, this award is open to individuals only.
The winner receives an engraved plaque and $2,500.
Eligibility
Applicants for the Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award must be members of Chorus America. Individuals may self-nominate for this award.
Organization recipients are eligible to reapply after 15 years. Individual recipients may only receive the award once.
Eligibility rotates through a two-year cycle:
- 2025 Awards Cycle: Individuals
- 2026 Awards Cycle: Ensemble or organization
This award is not required to be given annually and will be given at the discretion of the selection panel.
Deadline and Application Requirements
The deadline to submit an application is Friday, January 24, 2025 at 11:59PM ET.
The application includes the following:
- A statement describing how the nominee has furthered diverse African American choral traditions over the course of the individual's career or the organization's history.
- Specific examples of performance, recording, research, and/or new composition(s) of significance in support of the above.
- A statement describing how the individual or organization has demonstrated a sustained commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- A statement describing as specifically as possible how the work of the individual or ensemble has benefited the field.
- One submitted letter of support.
While there are no word limits for narrative questions, we find that concise responses that address the prompt and award rubric criteria in 2-4 paragraphs tend to be most successful.
Click Here to view the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award rubric.
Questions? Contact Vale Southard at vale@chorusamerica.org.