Music Center Spotlight Awards

Scholarship Value: $5,000
Awards Available: 20

The Spotlight competition provides cash scholarships and artistic development to empower high school students by emphasizing preparation, courage, critical thinking and perseverance while providing an invaluable opportunity for students to hone their performing skills! Southern California High School students of ALL skill levels are encouraged to apply for FREE. $100,000 in cash scholarships are awarded each year to students along with personalized feedback, eligibility for mastery classes with world renowned artists, and more! We are part competition, part education and always fun! It's easy to apply; fill out an application and upload a video! Take a chance on yourself! Check out The Spotlight Academy for info on the program and categories!

Spotlight Merit, Semifinalist and Honorable Mention awardees from 2023 will automatically bypass Preliminary 1 and advance to Preliminary 2 auditions. You still must fill out a new Spotlight application and upload the 2024 Placeholder Video that will be sent to you.

During the registration process, please use student's name and not a parent's/guardian's.

To Apply, You Must:

  • Be a Southern California high school student who attends a public, private, online, or home school. Your home base must be in one of these counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Riverside, Kern, or San Bernardino.
  • You must be an enrolled high school student as of December 31, 2023.  You may not be enrolled as a full time college student.
  • Dance and Ballet students, please check the category rules page for out of state residency exceptions.
  • Apply to one or more of these categories: Acting, Ballet, Dance, Classical Voice, Non-Classical Voice, Classical Instrumental, or Contemporary Instrumental Music. You can apply to as many categories as you want!
  • Read all the important information listed in the application, even though it’s the last thing you want to do. ☺ Think of it as a way to get ready for your college and competition auditions!!
  • Complete the online application by October 16, 2023. Don’t wait until the last minute!
  • Prepare and upload your audition video. Check out our video on filming a great audition!  

By applying to Spotlight you are eligible for*

  • Written feedback from our distinguished panel of judges
  • Mastery classes with world-renowned artists
  • Live audition experience and coaching
  • Grand Prize Finale performance
  • College and career preparation
  • Cash awards
  • School achievement recognition
  • News and social media coverage possibilities

**Given circumstances around COVID-19, program rules, elements and benefits are subject to change.

COVID 19 REQUIREMENT: The first round (Preliminary 1) of Spotlight is online. All students who advance to subsequent rounds, including Preliminary 2, Semifinals and Grand Prize Finals must be fully vaccinated.

View Scholarship

Sallie Mae "No Essay" Scholarship

Deadline: Mar 31, 2024
$2,000
The $2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and any US Territory age 17 or older at the time of entry, and who meet one (1) of the four (4) following eligibility requirements at the time of entry:A parent who currently has a child enrolled in an accredited...

Be Bold Scholarship

Deadline: Apr 01, 2024
$25,000
The "Be Bold" Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile. It takes less than 2 minutes to apply.To us, boldest does not mean "best", or "most accomplished". Being bold means being:A) EarnestB) DeterminedC) MovingThe scholarship will be awarded to the student whose profile is most bold, according to these characteristics.Furthermore, the...

Niche Scholarship

Deadline: Mar 31, 2024
$10,000
Covering the cost of college expenses for four years without writing a single essay? Sounds too good to be true.It isn't with Niche. We are giving one student $10,000 to help pay for tuition, living expenses, books, and other educational expenses.Who Can ApplyAll high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in...

ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship

Deadline: Mar 29, 2024
$1,000
ScholarshipOwl is your source of relief from the dreaded application process. We put students on the fast-track to success by providing direct access to the scholarships they need the most. Take the hassle out of financial aid and maximize your chance at a free ride in college. No matter how much funding you need for school, we have the opportunities...

SP Scholarship

Deadline: Mar 31, 2024
$2,500
The SP College Scholarship program was created to help students win scholarships without the hassle of filling out paper applications and writing dozens of essays.To be eligible for the Scholarship you must be:A) At least 13 years old and enrolled or will enroll in a college or university in the US.B) A legal resident of the U.S. or Puerto Rico.Thus...

10 Words or Less Scholarship

Deadline: Apr 15, 2024
$1,000
Scholarship Eligibility:A) Anyone who is between the ages of 14-25 who will be attending school in the Fall of 2024.B) This scholarship is provided by StudentScholarships.org. In order to apply for our scholarship follow these instructions:1. Go to www.facebook.com/myscholarships and place a comment on any post you see answering the question:In 10 words or less, tell us why you deserve...

National Dairy Shrine Scholarships

Deadline: Apr 15, 2024
$3,000
Tomorrow’s dairy leaders are here today, in classrooms, dairy youth organizations, at dairy competitions and on dairy farms across the country. The Dairy Shrine’s task is to encourage, stimulate and inspire them. Since its inception, Dairy Shrine has recognized the importance of laying a foundation for the future, and has constantly expanded its youth programs to capture and challenge the...

$15,000
The U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) was founded in 1997 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to complement the Stockholm Water Prize. The SJWP is the world's most prestigious award presented to a high school student for a water-research project.PRIZEThe Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) was founded in 1997 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to complement...

Shawn Carter Scholarship

Deadline: Apr 30, 2024
$2,500
The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund (SCSF) was founded on the belief that any motivated individual in need should have the opportunity to further his or her education. By removing some of the financial burdens associated with going to, surviving in, and graduating from college, the SCSF plays a vital role in increasing college access and success for many motivated yet...

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program

Deadline: May 02, 2024
$10,000
The Health Resources and Services Administration is accepting applications for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. The Health Resources and Services Administration improves the health of underserved and vulnerable populations by strengthening the health workforce and connecting skilled professionals to communities in need.The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program provides scholarships to nursing students in exchange for a minimum two-year, full-time service commitment...