Penn’s Nemeth named 2027 Grammy Museum Music Educator Award quarterfinalist

Penn High School Director of Choirs Andrew Nemeth has been named a quarterfinalist for the 2027 Grammy Museum Music Educator Award.

The Music Educator 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. A joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. 

Nemeth, who is also the Fine Arts and Communications Academy Leader at Penn and directs Gold Standard and Viva Voce, completed his B.M. degree in Music Education from Butler University (2010). He studied voice with Steven Rickards and Mary Anne Scott, and studied conducting with Henry Leck, Eric Stark, and Tim Brimmer. He earned his M.M. degree in Music Education from Boston University in 2016 where he studied conducting with Ann Howard Jones.

Each year, one recipient of the Grammy Museum Music Educator Award 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 69th Annual 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 semi-finalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

A total of 203 music teachers from 179 cities, and 37 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 the quarterfinalists, 187 legacy applicants from 2026 will also be eligible to win the award this year.