McKnight Composer Fellowships
McKnight Composer Fellowships support Minnesota music creators and culture bearers with unrestricted funding and artistic-development resources to sustain their practice and contributions to the field.
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Funder: American Composers Forum
Due Dates: October 12, 2026, 11:59 PM CT (Application deadline) | August 10, 2026 (Applications opened)
Funding Amounts: Four $25,000 unrestricted fellowships, plus up to $3,000 for professional development or works-in-progress and $1,500 for performance support per fellow
Summary: Supports Minnesota music creators and culture bearers beyond early practice with unrestricted funding and artistic-development resources.
Key Information: Applicants must have Minnesota residency for at least one year before applying and throughout the fellowship year.
Description
The McKnight Composer Fellowships are administered by American Composers Forum (ACF) with support from the McKnight Foundation. The program recognizes and sustains Minnesota music creators and culture bearers who are beyond emerging practice and have sustained experience in their discipline. Fellows demonstrate achievement, commitment, and high-level proficiency in work that contributes to their field and benefits people in Minnesota.
ACF welcomes the full range of musical approaches and perspectives, including creative leaders from cultures that do not use the word “artist” and practitioners who transmit and preserve cultural lifeways. The fellowships support continuing artistic practice through unrestricted funds, professional-development and performance support, and consultation from ACF and Springboard for the Arts. Selection emphasizes compelling artistic work and diversity in creative methodology, gender, race, ethnicity, and geography.
