Metalworks Institute Music Production Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Each award has its own page, linked from the Metalworks Institute scholarships page ("Am I eligible?"), with its own application steps
• ✓ Slaight Family Scholarship: Step I of the program application, the scholarship application, one letter of support, and a brief on why you want to study at Metalworks Institute and how it will help your career
• ✓ Student Recognition Entrance Scholarship: registration in a full-time diploma program, the scholarship application form, and a final official transcript from a Canadian secondary school before the academic year starts
• ✓ Clarkson Music Theatre Performing Arts Scholarship: be a graduating Mississauga resident entering post-secondary study, with proven ability in the performing arts
• ✓ Children's Aid Society Scholarship: be a local youth in government care
• ✓ Bill 7 Award: be an LGBTQ student with financial need pursuing a first degree, diploma or certification in Ontario

About this award

Funding varies by award. You could receive one full year of tuition through the Slaight Family Scholarship (two awards available), up to $10,000 from Canada's Walk of Fame Emerging Musician, or between $2,500 and $7,500 from Cheer Evolution. Other options include the Children's Aid Society Scholarship at $7,500, the Bill 7 Award at $3,500, the Stagecoach scholarship at $1,000, and the annual Clarkson Music Theatre Performing Arts Scholarship at $1,000. The Music Family Scholarship (75 awards of $1,000, for students with a parent in good standing in an AFM Local, or who are AFM members themselves) and the Toronto Musicians' Association scholarships (two awards of $500, for music students aged 18 to 30) were offered for 2025-2026; their 2025 deadlines have passed and no new round is posted yet. The Jill Mack Memorial Scholarship provides $5,000 annually. These are grants and bursaries, not loans, so you do not have to pay them back. This collection of awards is for you if you are a musician, sound technician, or performing artist aspiring to excel in the music industry, particularly if you identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit, or Queer), or are a resident of Mississauga or Saskatchewan. No universal deadline is posted publicly — before you start your application, check the Metalworks Institute program page or call their office to confirm when applications open and close for each specific award this year. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — whether by email, portal, or phone. Selection criteria aren't published for all awards — ask Metalworks Institute how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Some awards, like the Student Recognition Entrance Scholarship, are based on achieving a final academic average of 80% or higher in a Canadian secondary school: it pays $500 for an 80% to 89.9% average, $700 for 90% to 94.9%, and $1,000 for 95% or higher, and you must register in a full-time diploma program. Ask Metalworks Institute during your application how the money will reach you. Most of these are tuition scholarships, meaning the funds go toward your program costs, but some may be bursaries. Confirm if the money is sent to the school or paid to you directly so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Metalworks Institute whether each award is one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain, such as a specific GPA.

Who qualifies

You can apply for various awards depending on your identity and location. To qualify for the Slaight Family Scholarship, Canada's Walk of Fame, Cheer Evolution, or Stagecoach awards, you must be entering any campus, online, or hybrid delivery program at Metalworks Institute. For the Student Recognition Entrance Scholarship, you must have graduated from a Canadian secondary school with a final academic average of 80% or higher. The Children's Aid Society Scholarship is for local youth in government care. The Clarkson Music Theatre Performing Arts Scholarship requires you to be a Mississauga Resident entering post-secondary education with proven ability in the performing arts. The Bill 7 Award is for LGBTQ+ students in Ontario pursuing their first degree, diploma, or certification. The Garth Magloire Music Bursary is for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) students from the Greater Toronto Area (including Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel, and York Regions) enrolled in a post-secondary music program. The Jill Mack Memorial Scholarship is for a woman or non-binary Saskatchewan high school graduate attending a Canadian recording arts school. The School of Rock Streetsville and Stagecoach awards target students, instructors, and alumni of those specific programs, while the Future Pillars award is for graduates of that program.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen
• ✓ Open to high school, post-secondary, undergraduate or certificate students
• ✓ Resident of Ontario or Saskatchewan
• ✓ Studying music industry, Sound & Music Production, Performing Arts, dance, music, acting, production or recording arts

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Order your transcript1–2 weeks

   Your school's registrar can take a week or two.

3. 3

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.

4. 4

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• ApplicationAvoid writing a generic goal statement. Instead, highlight your specific aspirations for excelling in the music industry. Mention a concrete project or career milestone you want to achieve.
• ReferencesAvoid providing references who only know you casually. Instead, use instructors or mentors from programs like Stagecoach or School of Rock who can vouch for your work ethic. Ask them to provide a specific example of your talent.
• StrategyAvoid applying to only one award. Instead, check if you qualify for multiple options, such as both a general tuition scholarship and an identity-based award like the Bill 7 or Garth Magloire bursaries. List every qualification you meet.
• RealismAvoid assuming a tuition scholarship covers everything. Instead, remember that these awards typically exclude textbooks, supplies, and housing. Create a separate budget for these extra costs so you aren't surprised later.

Questions students ask

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