Live Nation, in partnership with the national nonprofit Music Forward Foundation, announced the recipients of its 2024 scholarship awards. Five remarkable college students pursuing live entertainment and music industry careers have been awarded a total of $50,000 in scholarships.
This year’s extraordinary group of talented scholarship recipients were selected based on academic performance, leadership skills, and an enthusiastic commitment to the live entertainment industry. Recipients of this year’s awards include Adina Aaron, Cristian Meza, Jasmine Gordon, Michael Brown, and Raagavi Venkatesh.
"At Music Forward, we help pave the way for youth pursuing careers in the music and live entertainment industry,” said Music Forward Foundation Executive Director, Nurit Smith. “With the support of our generous partners, we are once again able to award impactful scholarships to deserving young people, providing a plethora of opportunities as they work to achieve their goals and dreams.”
Adina Aaron, a 20-year-old rising junior and Business Administration major at the University of Southern California, is the recipient of the $10,000 Live Nation Scholarship. This scholarship supports students pursuing careers in the five core areas of Live Nation’s business: concert promotion, venue operation, sponsorship, ticketing, and artist management.
Aaron recently performed solo for the first time and released two singles this year while pursuing her degree. She plans to immerse herself in the day-to-day operations of the music industry and explore careers such as Music Supervisor, Creative Director, and A&R Manager, while developing herself as an artist.
“Winning [the Live Nation Scholarship is] a huge help in supporting my education and removing the financial obstacles that stand in the way of my dreams,” said Aaron. “With rising tuition and living costs, this scholarship [gives] me the relief I need to focus on my studies and take advantage of opportunities to advance my career. It [will] also help me avoid piling up student loan debt, allowing me to pursue my passions without the worry of financial burdens.”
Cristian Meza, a 24-year-old rising senior and Entertainment Technology major at New York City College of Technology, is the recipient of the $10,000 Governors Ball Scholarship. This scholarship supports students living in the five boroughs of New York City, pursuing a degree in live entertainment, with a focus in music.
Meza is tremendously proud to be pursuing his college degree. Coming from an immigrant family, he will be the first in his family to achieve this feat. Meza is not afraid to dream big and strives to become an audio engineer and tour throughout the country. Eventually he hopes to open his own music venue.
“This scholarship means so much to me,” says Meza. “When I first started this journey, I always had people telling me I couldn't achieve my dreams, and receiving this scholarship shows me that there are people out there that do believe in me, and my dreams are reachable. I want to thank all the people who didn't believe in me because that just helped me want it even more.”
