LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a new partnership with The UCLA Foundation to endow a scholarship at The Herb Alpert School of Music, aimed at educating the next generation of music executives.
The Berry Gordy Music Industry Scholarship will support high-potential students pursuing careers in the music industry by covering tuition, housing, and other educational expenses.
“I am thrilled that my friend Sir Lucian Grainge and Universal Music Group have committed to support this program with their endowment, which will help open doors for many more students and continue to pave the way for music to be a force for good and change. The center provides vital opportunities for students at UCLA to prepare for careers in the music industry, so that future generations of young talent will continue to innovate, inspire, and bring together cultures and communities through the power of music,” said Berry Gordy.
“For more than 65 years, Berry Gordy’s name has been synonymous with artistry and the transformative power of music. Through this scholarship, UMG is honoring his enduring legacy by investing in a new generation of young people who will help carry that spirit forward—creators and changemakers who will have an opportunity to reflect the innovation and entrepreneurial genius that Mr. Gordy brought to the world through Motown, Tamla, and the pioneering sound of Detroit,” stated Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group.
An influential figure in music history, Gordy launched Motown Records in 1959, helping to break down racial barriers in the music industry while providing a label home for soon-to-be-iconic artists who helped define the Motown Sound, such as Diana Ross and The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and The Temptations.
Scholarship recipients will be selected by the Director of the Gordy Center and will be eligible to receive the award in consecutive years based on financial need and academic commitment.
“UMG’s partnership with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music reflects our belief that increasing access to education and professional training is a powerful tool for transforming the music industry,” said Robert Fink, Acting Dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and Director of The Berry Gordy Music Industry Center. “This endowment ensures that the next generation of music executives, artists, and entrepreneurs will not only be inspired by Berry Gordy’s legacy of innovation but also equipped to build on it.”
