Apply Now | NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre

City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) has now earmarked additional funding for music projects led by female-identified creatives.

Applications for the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre are now live, with information seminars planned for all five boroughs between July 24 and September 10, 2019 (schedule below). The $5 million grant program, part of a groundbreaking series of initiatives by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), is administered by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). In its first year, the program awarded a total of $1.5 million to 63 film, digital, and theatre projects. This year, an additional $500,000 has been added to expand the fund to include music projects with a maximum grant of $20,000 each.

Originally launched as the “Made in NY” Women’s Film, TV and Theatre Fund, the fund is a signature initiative by MOME to address the underrepresentation of all who identify as women in the entertainment industries. With the addition of music to the list of eligible categories, MOME is increasing its efforts to target gender inequity in stubbornly male-dominated industries. One recent report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that from 2013-2019, only 10% of Grammy nominees were women, and from 2012-2018 only 22% of artists, 12% of songwriters, and 2% of producers of 700 popular songs from the Billboard “Hot 100″ year-end charts were female.

“New York City is home to the strongest creative talent in the world,” said Media and Entertainment Commissioner Anne del Castillo. “We are proud to expand the NYC Women’s Fund to include female-identified songwriters, composers, engineers, and producers working in all genres of music. Supporting women creatives in media and entertainment diversifies our talent base and generates richer content.”

Said Michael L. Royce, Executive Director, NYFA: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and to administer a program that supports dozens of projects involving female-identifying creatives in film, music, television, and theatre. We’re especially excited that the program has expanded to include a music category, which will give additional artists the opportunity to realize creative works.”

Eligible projects for music grants will include new EPs, albums, and videos for yet-to-be released works from all genres. Projects must have a significant female writing credit, producer credit, engineering credit, and/or musical lead. NYC-based producers, composers, engineers, solo musicians, ensemble bands, and orchestras that are not currently signed to a major label can apply. Applicants must also show evidence of a growing fan base and have played multiple live shows.

Grants will be given in the following categories (amounts listed are the maximum potential grant for each applicant):

● Fiction Feature (running time of 60 minutes or more) – $50,000

● Fiction Short (running time of 59 minutes or less) – $25,000

● Fiction Webisode/Webseries (all forms) – $20,000

● Documentary Feature (running time of 60 minutes or more) – $50,000

● Documentary Short (running time of 59 minutes or less) – $25,000

● Documentary Webisode/Webseries (all lengths and forms) – $20,000

● Music: Classical/Experimental/Jazz/New Music – $20,000

● Music General – $20,000

● Theatre Production – $50,000

Projects are eligible if they feature a strong female or female-identified perspective; and/or include a female or female-identified director; and/or include a meaningful female or female-identified producer credit; and/or include a meaningful female or female-identified writing credit; and/or include a female or female-identified protagonist(s).

All recipients must be NYC residents. Anyone can apply and be awarded a grant regardless of actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, partnership status, marital status, disability, race, color, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, military status, or any other class protected by City, State, or Federal law.

Upcoming Information Sessions:

Manhattan: Tuesday, September 10 from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM at Red Bull Arts New York, 220 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011, RSVP here.

Follow along for updates @madeinny on Twitter and Facebook and @madein_ny on Instagram and @nyfacurrent on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Use the hashtag #NYCWomensFund to participate in the conversation.

The application and eligibility guidelines are now available and will be accepted through Tuesday, October 1, 11:59 PM EST. Recipients will be announced in March 2020. Got questions? Email [email protected]. Please note: emails to the questions line will not be answered after 7:00 PM EST on Tuesday, October 1.

Find out about additional awards and grants here. Sign up for our free bi-weekly newsletter, NYFA News, to receive announcements about future NYFA events and programs.

Funding for this program provided by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

Image: Courtesy City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME)