Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® Awards Nicky Jam Scholarship to Pianist Leomar Cordero

The Foundation also awarded an additional 43 scholarships to music students worldwide and announced the creation of its Scholarship Alumni Network

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Credit: Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation /John Parra/Getty Images

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^® awarded the Nicky Jam Scholarship to Dominican pianist Leomar Cordero during a special presentation with the artist in Miami, where the Latin GRAMMY^® winner performed alongside Cordero and additional scholarship recipients.

Also known as the Prodigy Scholarship, and sponsored annually by a Latin music icon, it was created nine years ago to support music education and Latin music genres. It holds a maximum value of $200,000 and allows Cordero to pursue a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, starting this fall. Previous sponsors include: Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016) and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

Cordero, a 19-year-old musician from La Romana, was selected by the Foundation's Scholarship Committee from a highly competitive group of hundreds of applicants worldwide. Since its establishment, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has committed an extraordinary sum of more than $9.3 million in scholarships, grants, musical instruments, and educational programs throughout the United States and Ibero-America.

“Since our inception nearly a decade ago, the Foundation's unwavering mission has been to support and cultivate the next generation of Latin music creators. I am humbled to announce our ninth Prodigy Scholarship winner and continue this mission,” said Raquel "Rocky" Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^®. “With the extraordinary generosity of respected artists such as Nicky Jam, we have the unique privilege of fostering the education of future generations, paving the way for their dreams to flourish and carry forward the rich legacy of Latin music.”

Nicky Jam shared “My heart swells with joy as I join the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation in awarding the Nicky Jam Scholarship to the extraordinary pianist Leomar Cordero. This is more than a scholarship, it's a symphony of dreams harmonizing with dedication. To witness the power of music uniting us all, and to be a part of Leomar's journey, is an honor beyond words. Through education, we nurture the melodies of tomorrow and keep the soul of Latin music alive. Congratulations, Leomar, let your music paint the world with colors only your heart can imagine.”

“I am beyond thankful to the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation and Nicky Jam for rewarding my efforts and motivating not just me, but also a large number of passionate young musicians who share an infinite love for music and our rich culture,” said Cordero. “I am committed to making the most out of this incredible opportunity and leaving a lasting impact in the world of music.”

The Foundation also announced the recipients of its annual Gifted Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Assistance Scholarships, that award 43 talented students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue an education at some of the most prestigious music institutions in the world.

In addition, upon completing their studies, Cordero and all the Gifted Tuition and Tuition Assistance scholarship recipients listed below will have the opportunity to join the newly formed Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Scholarship Alumni Network. This network formalizes the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to serve beyond scholarships by providing graduates opportunities to mentor current scholarship recipients, network with industry professionals, access exclusive events and resources as well as give back to the community.

Gifted Tuition Scholarship Recipients:

The following three students will each receive the Gifted Tuition Scholarship, with a maximum value of $100,000, which will support the tuition costs of four years of study at the university, college or music institution of their choice are:

• Gabriel Américo, guitarist from Brazil
• Camilo Astiazarán, guitarist from Uruguay
• Olivia Soler Espinosa, tres cubano from Cuba

Tuition Assistance Scholarship Recipients:

In addition, the following 40 students will each receive the Tuition Assistance Scholarship, a one-time scholarship with a maximum value of $10,000 toward the tuition costs for the university or college of their choice:

ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy^® in 2014 to further international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world’s culture. The Foundation provides college scholarships, educational programs and grants for the research and preservation of its rich musical legacy and heritage, and to date has donated more than $9.3 million with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information, or to make a donation, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook.

ABOUT NICKY JAM:

Nick Rivera Caminero, known as Nicky Jam, is an icon in the Latin urban genre. The Puerto Rican singer’s unique perspective made him a reggaeton pioneer starting in the 2000s and into the last decade, helping to shape the genre into a global phenomenon. The Latin GRAMMY winner continues to enjoy success with many multi-platinum hits and sold-out world tours adding to his inspiring legacy.

At age 11, Nicky Jam broke into Puerto Rico’s reggaeton scene with his debut album, Diferente a Los Demás (Different From the Rest). In his teenage years he became a rising star in the genre with hits like “Yo No Soy Tu Marido,” “Me Voy Pa’l Party,” “Fiel A Tu Piel” and “La Combi Completa.” He was also part of the duo Los Cangris with another musical pioneer, Daddy Yankee. However, time in prison and a deep depression derailed Nicky Jam’s career soon after.

Three years later, he moved to Colombia with a renewed spirit to reclaim his career. After a 10-year hiatus from the charts, Nicky Jam returned with “Travesuras,” which peaked on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs in 2014 for over 20 weeks. The following year, he scored another global hit, “El Perdón,” with Enrique Iglesias, which won the Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Urban Performance. He had the biggest hit of 2016 with “Hasta el Amanecer.” The songs were featured on his comeback album, 2017’s Fénix, which is credited with reviving global interest in reggaeton music.

Nicky Jam’s songs have achieved more than 14.5 billion views on YouTube and 1.1 billion streams on Spotify. Among his recent hits are the 35-times platinum “X,” with J Balvin, and his collaborative single “Te Boté,” featuring Casper Mágico, Nio García, Darell, Bad Bunny, and Ozuna. In 2019, Nicky Jam turned his inspiring life story into the hit series El Ganador, which he also starred in. He made his big screen debut in Bad Boys For Life alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

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