The Newlin Music Prize has awarded $12,500 to 40 Richmond area musicians, recognizing past winners and nominees from its inception in 2022. This distribution follows an increase in prize money for the 2024 award and honor artists from previous years.

Established in 2022, the Newlin Music Prize celebrates the best full-length album from the Metropolitan Richmond area, based solely on artistic merit. Each year, a jury of over 100 members from the local arts community selects 20 albums for consideration.

Initially offering $1,000 to winners in 2022 and 2023, the prize increased to $2,500 in 2024. Additionally, $4,750 was raised to award $250 to each nominee on the short list. This supplemental payout ensures that artists from the first two years receive similar recognition.

“We are very excited to be able to bestow this money to artists from the previous two years of the award,” said Newlin Music Prize President Doug Nunnally. “Their contributions have greatly enriched Richmond’s diverse musical landscape, and we are thrilled to celebrate their achievements and support their future creative endeavors with this endowment.”

 Ant The Symbol
 

Artists receiving payments include Abby Huston, Angélica Garcia, Ant The Symbol, Armagideon Time, Big Fundamental, Book Of Wyrms, Butcher Brown, Caro, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Deau Eyes, DJ Harrison, Drook, Dumb Waiter, Erin & The Wildfire, Frames, Giant, Gnawing, Illa Styles, Jewell Booker, Junnie Mac, Justin Golden, Mackenzie Roark, Matthew E. White, McKinley Dixon, Monday Night, Ms. Jaylin Brown, No BS! Brass, Piranha Rama, Prabir Trio, Radio B, Spooky Cool, Strawberry Moon, T V L P A, Tennishu, Terminal Bliss, Tiara & Andrew, Timothy Bailey And The Humans, Ty Sorrell, Tyler Meacham and WKNDR.

Looking ahead, the organization will begin fundraising for its 2025 award, celebrating albums from the Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan region released in 2024. A kickoff event is scheduled for Aug. 4 at the Kava Club, featuring performances by past nominees and a raffle to benefit the prize fund.

The Newlin Music Prize is as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. For more information, visit Newlinmusicprize.com.