Newlin Music Prize Announces 2025 Short List
The Newlin Music Prize unveiled its 2025 Short List last Monday, featuring 20 albums in contention for this year’s award, which celebrates outstanding musical excellence in Richmond, VA. Voting is currently underway by members of the Newlin jury as well as the general public via a fan vote on the Newlin Music Prize website.
Founded in 2022 and named after musical prodigy, Virginia Commonwealth University professor, and performer Dika Newlin (1923-2006), the Newlin Music Prize is awarded to the best full-length album from the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area based solely on artistic merit, as decided by members of the local music community and fans. The winner will be announced on March 24, 2025, receiving a commemorative trophy and a $2,500 cash prize. Additionally, each remaining artist on the 2025 Short List will receive $250 in recognition of their work.
The 2025 Short List was chosen from albums released by artists in the Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area in 2024 that either contained at least five songs or exceeded 25 minutes in length. All albums released under these parameters were considered for the award, with no formal submissions or entry fees required from local musicians, labels, or studios.
A jury of 150 Richmond-area musicians, artists, journalists, photographers, and activists nominated albums for the award. From there, a 10-member committee reviewed the nominations and selected the final 20 albums for the Short List. Each jury member will now assess the nominated records and submit a ranked ballot to determine the winner.
Modeled after similar awards such as Canada’s Polaris Music Prize and the United Kingdom’s Mercury Prize, the goal of the Newlin Music Prize is to raise awareness of the diverse music scene in Richmond, Virginia and to encourage more great recordings in the future. Since beginning in 2022, the Newlin Music Prize has awarded over $20,000 to Richmond-area musicians. Previous award winners are: Butcher Brown in 2024 for Solar Music, Deau Eyes in 2023 for Legacies, and McKinley Dixon in 2022 for For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her.
The Newlin Music Prize is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designated as a public charity 509(a)(2). For more information on the organization and each nominated album, please visit NewlinMusicPrize.com.
