PRESCOTT – Prescott High School Band Director Jason Canfield was among 215 music teachers selected as quarterfinalists for the GRAMMY Museum and Recording Academy’s 2025 Music Educator Award. This prestigious award is given to current educators—from kindergarten through college in both public and private schools—who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who advocate for the ongoing inclusion of music education in schools.

This year’s quarterfinalists hail from 202 cities and were chosen from more than 2,400 initial nominations. Semi-finalists for the 2025 Music Educator Award will be announced later this year. The ultimate recipient will be celebrated during GRAMMY Week 2025.

Each year, one recipient is selected from among 10 finalists and recognized for their profound impact on students' lives. The 11th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 67th GRAMMY Awards and participate in various GRAMMY Week events. The nine other finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Additionally, fifteen semi-finalists will be awarded a $500 honorarium with matching school grants

Canfield has been with the district for over 25 years. Some of his instructional highlights include the Disney World band trips and incorporating innovative student-centered practices and technologies into his program: improvisation, Garage Band and Dexter Street Studios, a dedicated onsite recording space where students can create their own or record other music  on a professional recording system.

Submitted by Prescott School Distric