Telstra Aria Music Teacher Award – Now Open

Nominations are open for the highly prized sixth annual Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award!

Established in 2017 in partnership with Telstra and The Song Room, the ARIA Award celebrates the integral role that music teachers play in shaping the aspirations of young musicians and their communities.

Recognition for Australian Music Teachers

CEO of ARIA, Annabelle Herd, said: “Our partnership with Telstra and The Song Room is so important and something we are all deeply proud to take into a sixth year. A world-renowned community of musicians and professionals starts in the classroom. The knowledge and passion our music teachers bring to their students can last a lifetime and has certainly changed the lives of countless performing artists across the country.”

Here at APATA we are constantly in awe of the work of our members, The Song Room – winner of the 2020 APATA Contribution to Arts Education Award and last year’s 2021 Telstra Aria Music Teacher Award winner Zoë Barry (Fitzroy Sacred Heart School, Fitzroy, VIC) who said, “Winning the Telstra ARIA Music Award was a wonderful experience to celebrate the unique opportunities music education offers students to express themselves, make meaning, and make connections with ideas and each other. Teaching music at Sacred Heart School in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, I get to witness how powerfully music can calm, inspire and unite my students.”

Along with Zoë previous winners of the Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award include: Sarah Donnelley (2020, Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia, NSW); Antonio Chiappetta (2019, St Andrews College, Sydney, NSW); Scott Maxwell (2018, Grant High School, Mount Gambier, SA) and Renee McCarthy (2017, Woodcroft College, Adelaide SA).

“Acknowledging the impact that music teachers have had to help students stay connected to their learning and to boost their wellbeing is so important. For many children, having music at their school can be the difference between coming to school or not. We are so proud to partner with ARIA to celebrate music teachers and the important work they do for their students and school communities” says Alice Gerlach, CEO of The Song Room.

Read The Song Room 2021 Year in Review for more about their arts learning advocacy.

Nominate a Music Teacher Today!

The Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award invites members of the public to nominate an Australian music teacher who they believe is committed to enriching the lives of students and delivers meaningful opportunities for genuine engagement with music education.

Entries are now open, with a shortlist of nominees to be announced ahead of the ARIA nominations later this year.

Each shortlisted teacher will be partnered with an artist mentor, who will connect with the school to help celebrate its success with the students and tell each music teacher’s story. Previous Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award ambassadors have included Tones and I, Emma Watkins, Amy Shark, Baker Boy, Morgan Evans, Jimmy Barnes, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy.

Following the finalist announcement, a public and music industry voting process will be conducted, with the announcement of the winner of the Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award at the 2022 ARIA Awards in November.

Music education inspires the next generation of creators and supports communication, connection, collaboration and creativity. Nominate a teacher today and put them in the spotlight for a change!

To view guidelines and/or to nominate your favourite music educator, visit: http://www.ariamusicteacheraward.com.au