Contests and Competitions
Berklee students, faculty, and alumni gain recognition all around the world for their achievements. Here's a sampling of the college's winners.
2013
American String Teachers Association Artist Teacher Award Winner: Matt Glaser, artistic director of Berklee American Roots Music Program
International Composers' Competition, Director's Choice Award Winner: Alla Elana Cohen, associate professor of composition
SCAMV National Composition Competition, First Place: Utar Artun '11
2012
BMI Foundation John Lennon Scholarship Winner: Lisa Occhino
Boston Music Awards, Gospel Artist of the Year Winner: Berklee Reverence Gospel Choir
Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest Winner: Molly Tuttle
John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Grand Prize Winner for Jazz: Yuko Yamamura '06
USA Songwriting Competition, Overall Grand Prize Winner: Michael Schmid '01
Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program Winner: Josh Shpak
2011
Berlin Prize in Music Composition/Fellowship: Ken Ueno '95
Billboard Music Awards Battle of the Bands Winner: Gentlemen Hall
Boston Music Awards, Gospel Artist of the Year Winner: Berklee Reverence Gospel Choir
Cubadisco International Prize: MTCD: 10, Music Technology Division student compilation
Guggenheim Fellowship: Dave Fiuczynski, faculty
International Competition of Collegiate a Cappella Champions: Pitch Slapped
Uncle Dave Macon National Old-Time Banjo Contest Winner: Lukas Pool '11
2010
ASICOM International Award: Danilo Pérez '88
Avery Fisher Career Grant: Kirill Gerstein '96
Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 Business Leaders: Panos Panay '93 (Sonicbids)
Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, General Category: Liz Longley '09
DownBeat Critics Poll, Artist of the Year: Joe Lovano '72
Edison Jazz/World Award: Lionel Loueke '00
Gilmore Artist Award: Kirill Gerstein '96
Glamour Top 10 College Women: Emily Elbert
International Acoustic Music Awards Grand Prize: Liz Longley '09
International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella—Northeast Region, First Place: Student group Pitch Slapped
International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella—National Finals, Outstanding Arrangement: Christine Gallagher '10 and Hannah Juliano '12 of Pitch Slapped
International Trombone Association Lifetime Achievement Award: Phil Wilson, faculty
International Trumpet Guild, Jazz Improvisation Competition, First Place: David Neves '11
Mass High Tech All-Stars: Panos Panay '93 (Sonicbids)
Montreux Jazz Festival Audience Award: Aki Ishiguro
2009
ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award: Victor Gould and Daniel Ori '08
Albert Schweitzer Fellow: Jenna St. Pierre
BMI/Jerry Goldsmith Film Scoring Scholarship: Jung-Joo "JJ" Lee '03
Boston Music Awards
- Act of the Year: Passion Pit (four of five members are alumni)
- Gospel/Choir Act (of the Year): Berklee Reverence Gospel Choir
- Jazz Act: Esperanza Spalding '05
Casandra Award, Solo Female Singer: Cristal Marie '05
DownBeat Rising Star, Alto Sax: Grace Kelly '12
Fulbright Scholar: Liz Davis Maxfield '09
Jazz Journalists Association Awards:
- Clarinetist of the Year: Anat Cohen '98
- Alto Saxophonist of the Year: Rudresh Mahanthappa '92
- Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Esperanza Spalding '04
MacColl Johnson Fellow: professor Daniel Moretti
Montreux Jazz Voice Competition, First Place: Aubrey Logan '10; Third Place, Charles Turner '10
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase, Grand Prize: student Liz Longley
Smithsonian Legacy Award: Danilo Pérez '88
Sundance Institute Composer: Christopher Lord '05
2008
BBC Heart of Jazz Award: Tommy Smith '85
Billboard World Songwriting Contest, Rock: Jimi Anderson '08, "Another Way to Run"
BMI Film Scoring Scholarship: Javier Zacharias
Chamber Music America, New Works Creation and Presentation Program: David Gilmore, faculty
DownBeat Rising Star, Guitar: Lionel Loueke '00
East Coast Music Award (Canada), Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year: Kimberley Fraser, Falling on New Ground
Effigy Award (Spain), Blues/Rock Song of the Year: Jack Evans '75 with Reverend Zen
Guggenheim Fellowship: Miguel Zenón '98
Harp Competition: Maeve Gilchrist '07
International Bluegrass Music Association, Instrumental Album of the Year: Andy Hall '97
International Film Music Conference Jerry Goldsmith Award, Best Young Composer and Best Score in Picture: Zeltia Montes '07
Japan Society of Boston John E. Thayer Award: Tiger Okoshi, faculty
Jazz Journalists Association, Player of the Year (Instruments Rare in Jazz): Scott Robinson '81
John Lennon Scholarship Songwriting Contest: Emily Shackelton '07
John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Jazz: Jeremy Zmuda '98
Latin Grammy, Best Latin Jazz Recording: David Samuels, faculty
Lyon & Healy International Jazz & Pop Harpfest: Maeve Gilchrist '07
MacArthur Fellowship: Miguel Zenón '98 (read more)
Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition, First Prize: Jeff Miles '08
Music Teachers National Association Young Composers Competition: Ho Man Tin '07
SESAC Composer Awards, Maury, Montel, Teen Kids News: Hal Gold '76
SESAC Songwriting Award: Emily Shackelton '07
SOCAN Award (Canada), Domestic Animated Television Series: Don Breithaupt '84
Tanne Foundation Award: Haddon Givens Kime '00
Tony Award, Best Orchestrations: Alex Lacamoire '95
2007
ASCAP Plus Award, Songwriting: Jack Evans '75
Belvedere Chamber Music Festival Student Composition Contest: Federico Casagrande '06
CosmoGIRL! Songwriter of the Year: Alexa Falk
Director's Chair Film Festival, Best Original Soundtrack: Michael Teoli '04
Guggenheim Fellowship: Rudresh Mahanthappa '92
International Bluegrass Music Association, Song of the Year, Album of the Year (tie), and Emerging Artist of the Year: the Infamous Stringdusters (Andy Hall '97 and Chris Pandolfi '03)
International Jazz Soloist Competition of Monaco: Florian Weber '01, piano
International Trombone Association, Lifetime Achievement: Dick Nash '48
John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Electronic: Acoustic Chatter (Lukas Johnson '04 and Andrea Stankevitch '04)
Kunstgegen Foundation Music for Modern Dance Performance Competition: Julio Santillán '01
Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition, First Prize: Federico Casagrande '06
Moondance International Film Festival, Film Score (Columbine Award): Vincent Gillioz '95, Pray for Morning
Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award, Best Sound Editing for Feature Film: Jason W. Jennings, Letters From Iwo Jima
Park City Film Music Festival, Outstanding Achievement in Film Music Composition for Independent Film: Vincent Gillioz '95, La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Accolade Competition Award of Excellence, Feature Film—Comedy: Kelly Farrell '91, The Metrosexual
2006
Lowell Fiddle and Banjo Contests:
- Bluegrass Fiddle, Andy Woolf Memorial Award for Musical Excellence: Andy Reiner '08
- Ethnic Fiddle: Mariel Vandersteel '09
- Fiddle and Banjo Duo: Amberly Rosen '08 with Dave Hollender, faculty
- Old-Time Fiddle: Amberly Rosen '08
- Twin Fiddles: Mariel Vandersteel '09
Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition: Jake Hertzog '07 (video: Jake talks about guitar at Berklee)
Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award, Best Sound Editing (Direct-to-Video): Kyle Clausen '00, Ark
Sonoma Valley Film Festival, Best Debut Feature: Christopher Jaymes, In Memory of My Father
2005
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards:
- Most-Performed Themes: Branford Marsalis '80; Howard Shore '68
- Movie Score: Alan Silvestri '70, The Polar Express and Van Helsing
- Top Television Series: Michael Levine '76, Cold Case; Atli Orvarsson '96, Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU
BMI Film and TV Award, Classic Contribution Award: Kevin Eubanks '79, The Tonight Show
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, Best Composer: Howard Shore '69,The Aviator
CineVegas International Film Festival, Grand Jury Award: Christopher Jaymes, In Memory of My Father
Golden Globe, Best Original Score—Motion Picture: Howard Shore '69,The Aviator
National Board of Review, Career Achievement Award for Excellence in Film Music Composition: Howard Shore '69
San Diego Film Festival, Best Director: Christopher Jaymes, In Memory of My Father