Applications for the special BMAC Live cohort are open through February 6

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) today announced a collaboration with HBCU AWAREFEST, the largest fundraising event for HBCUs convened through the partnership between Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) and Live Nation Urban, to create paid pathways into the live music industry for students. Through a special cohort of the BMAC Live Accelerator Program, 15 students will receive paid, hands-on experience working behind the scenes of the multi-day festival while gaining real-world exposure to careers in live entertainment.

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Selected students will gain valuable, hands-on experience in the live entertainment industry.

“At Student Freedom Initiative, we believe one of the most powerful forms of learning is through experiential learning, particularly when students are contributing to their own communities,” said Keith Shoates, President and CEO of Student Freedom Initiative. “This partnership with BMAC will provide selected HBCU students with the opportunity to build real skills, earn income, and see with their own eyes how their talents can contribute to industries that shape culture while supporting the institutions that invest in them.”

“This partnership is about transforming ambition into access and access into opportunity,” said Willie Prophet Stiggers, Co-Founder and CEO of the Black Music Action Coalition. “As HBCU AWAREFEST raises critical funds to help fight student debt, BMAC LIVE ensures students aren’t just beneficiaries of change, they’re participants in it. The live music business fuels culture and commerce, yet too many students from HBCUs are kept on the outside looking in. Through BMAC’s partnership with Live Nation Urban and SFI, we’re creating real opportunities for HBCU students to earn while they learn, gain paid, hands-on experience, and build sustainable, long-term careers in live entertainment.”

Students can now apply for the BMAC LIVE x HBCU AWAREFEST cohort taking place March 20-26, 2026, in Atlanta, GA. Selected students from Atlanta-based HBCUs will participate in virtual and in-person educational sessions and work in paid roles supporting the festival’s production team. Participants will gain mentorship and real work experience across key areas of the live music ecosystem, including production, talent booking, marketing, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, and event management.

“HBCU AWAREFEST was built to celebrate Black culture while creating real impact for HBCU students, and this collaboration with BMAC advances that mission,” said Shawn Gee, President of Live Nation Urban. “Bringing the BMAC Live Accelerator to the festival gives students immersive insight into how the live music business works behind the scenes, strengthening the talent pipeline and helping them build skills, gain experience, and explore career paths in an industry that shapes culture worldwide.”

HBCU AWAREFEST’s culminating live music show will serve as the program’s capstone experience, following a full week of on-the-ground learning supporting various festival programming. As the largest fundraising event for HBCUs, HBCU AWAREFEST offers BMAC Live participants a rare opportunity to develop critical skillsets while contributing to a mission-driven celebration of culture, creativity, and community impact.

Applications for BMAC LIVE x HBCU AWAREFEST are now open through February 6, 2026. Qualifying students interested in careers in live music and entertainment are encouraged to apply at https://www.bmacoalition.org/2026bmaclivehbcuawarefest.

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About Student Freedom Initiative

The Student Freedom Initiative is reducing the wealth gap through the lens of education. Our mission is to provide students attending our participating institutions freedom in professional and life choices by increasing their social and economic mobility. Student Freedom Initiative supports students and institutions through a private education loan alternative to Parent PLUS loans, internships and industry-driven certifications, a microgrant program for emergencies, financial literacy tools, and institutional infrastructure upgrades.

Student Freedom Initiative has received generous contributions from Robert F. Smith, Fund 2 Foundation, Cisco, Jane Street, Prudential Financial, First Republic, the Walmart Foundation, and Target. Our programs have been supported by the Business Roundtable’s Racial Equity & Justice Subcommittee on Education, and many others.

About Black Music Action Coalition

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) is a unified force of racial equity and justice within the music industry, using the power of our collective voice to strengthen communities and drive systemic change. Our Coalition advocates on behalf of artists, songwriters, producers, managers, agents, executives, and lawyers to create and expand access, equity, and opportunity through Music Maker Grants and Mentorship, Music Business Accelerator and Pathway Programs, Economic Assistance and Mentorship as well as Convenings, Summits, and Cultural Moments. BMAC drives music industry reform through groundbreaking research and public accountability reports and advances policy change focused on social and racial justice and the protection of artists, with particular emphasis on issues that directly impact Black people and Black communities. Regarding AI, BMAC advocates for a network of music managers, entertainment attorneys, and creatives. In our ongoing fight for economic justice, AI remains a central priority. For more information on BMAC’s efforts and impact, visit www.bmacoalition.org/impact-reports.

About Live Nation Urban

Live Nation Urban (LNU) remains North America's preeminent producer of concert experiences, festivals, and platforms headlined, curated, and owned by Black talent. Operating in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world's leading live entertainment company, the company sets the tone for culture with over a dozen sought-after festival brands such as The Roots Picnic, Broccoli City, Exodus Music & Arts Festival, ONE Musicfest, Strength of a Woman, and more.

Beyond their captivating live events, Live Nation Urban has established themselves as key social architects in Black culture with their innovative initiatives that include Juneteenth: A Global Celebration (broadcast on CNN), Kerry Washington's THICKER THAN WATER book tour, and a special Hip-Hop 50 event at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in addition to tours by artists such as Ari Lennox, Babyface, Kirk Franklin, Lil Wayne, Davido, Charlie Wilson, Jeezy, Jagged Edge, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Coco Jones, Jodeci, RuPaul, and Raphael Saadiq. The LNU-produced "A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop" special garnered a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards for "Outstanding Variety Show." Live Nation Urban continues to grow across Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, and Gospel as the most trusted purveyor of live urban music. Learn more about Live Nation Urban at https://livenationurban.com.

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