Robert M. Stevenson Prize (Society for Ethnomusicology)

About this program

The Society for Ethnomusicology offers the Robert M. Stevenson Prize to honor ethnomusicologists who are also composers by awarding up to $1,000 for a single original composition; a recording (or excerpt) will be presented at the SEM Annual Meeting and a live performance may be arranged if feasible. The prize is awarded biennially in odd-numbered years and the 2027 application deadline is April 1, 2027; the award amount depends on investment earnings and performance arrangements. Applicants must be current SEM members and the composer of the submitted work, may submit only one composition per cycle, and must apply online with a recording or website link of a single composition or an excerpt not exceeding 10 minutes, a CV, and a brief narrative (maximum 250 words) describing the work’s significance to composition and ethnomusicology.