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About

The Music in American Culture Award honors each year a book of exceptional merit that both illuminates some important aspect of the music of the United States and places that music in a rich cultural context. The goal of this award is to recognize the best writing on music in American culture, regardless of the source or intended audience of that writing; hence work by a broad range of authors—including performing musicians, journalists, and music critics, as well as academic scholars—will be considered. Financial support for the Music in American Culture Award was initially provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation, and is sustained through the generous contributions of many individual donors.

Mellon Foundation logo

Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation logo

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) logo

Nominations

To be eligible for the Music in American Culture Award, submissions must meet the following criteria. Eligible works:

  • Must be authored by a citizen/permanent resident of Canada or the United States
  • Must have been published during the previous calendar year (referring to the copyright year as found in the front matter of the published work)

 

Nominations must be received via the AMS Award Nomination by 11:59PM ET on the submission deadline. Self-nominations are welcome, as well as nominations from colleagues and publishers. Nominators are asked to provide a digital review copy of the work, if available.

A committee of five scholars will choose a single award recipient from all eligible candidates. Award winners will receive a monetary prize, a certificate, and recognition at the Annual Meeting of the Society. An individual may receive the Music in American Culture Award only once. A single work of scholarship may receive only one AMS award.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I am not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada?

Only citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada are eligible to receive the Music in American Culture Award.

How do I know if a publication was published in the “previous year”?

Eligibility for the Music in American Culture Award is determined by the copyright date found on the imprint of a nominated publication. “Previous year” is defined as the calendar year preceding the award year. Publications in progress are not eligible for the Music in American Culture Award.

Can I nominate my own work for consideration?

Self-nomination is encouraged! To nominate your own work for consideration, follow the procedures on the AMS Award Nominations form.

Past Recipients

View past recipients of the Music in American Culture Award.

Past Recipients

Current Nominees

View current nominees for the Music in American Culture Award.

Nominees

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