Contributed photo Micah Erickson poses with the Lake Linden-Hubbell Marching Band.

LAKE LINDEN — Micah Erickson, director of bands at Lake Linden-Hubbell, has been named a quarterfinalist, out of 2,100 music educators across 36 states, for the Music Educator Award™. The award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college and public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. In a partnership and presentation by the Recording Academy® and Grammy Museum®, the recipient will be recognized during Grammy® Week 2027.

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. The 13th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 2027 Grammy Awards® and a range of Grammy Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants.

Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

A total of 202 music teachers from 177 cities and 36 states have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. In total, over 2,100 initial nominations were submitted. In addition to our quarterfinalists, 187 legacy applicants from 2026 will also be eligible to win the award this year.