Universal Music Group has established the Berry Gordy Music Industry Scholarship at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

The new scholarship, in partnership with the UCLA Foundation, aims to support high-potential students studying in the school’s music industry program.

Each year, a student demonstrating exceptional promise will be named a Berry Gordy Scholar and receive funding toward tuition, housing and other educational expenses. 

The scholarship follows the 2024 launch of the UCLA Berry Gordy Music Industry Center at the school of music, a hub dedicated to research, teaching and community engagement that provides career support in the evolving global music business. 

“For more than 65 years, Berry Gordy’s name has been synonymous with artistry and the transformative power of music. Through this scholarship, UMG is honoring his enduring legacy by investing in a new generation of young people who will help carry that spirit forward — creators and changemakers, who will have an opportunity to reflect the innovation and entrepreneurial genius that Mr. Gordy helped bring to the world through Motown, Tamla and the pioneering sound of Detroit,” Sir Lucian Grainge, Universal Music Group chairman & CEO said in a statement. 

Gordy, in a statement, said he was “thrilled” over the commitment to support the program, saying the endowment “will help open doors for many more students and continue to pave the way for music to be a force for good and change. The center provides vital opportunities for students at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music to help prepare for careers in the music industry, so that future generations of young talent will continue to innovate, inspire and bring together culture and communities through the power of music.” 

Robert Fink, Acting Dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and Director of The Berry Gordy Music Industry Center, said: “UMG’s partnership with The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music reflects our belief that increasing access to education and professional training is a powerful tool for transforming the music industry.”

“This endowment ensures that the next generation of music executives, artists, and entrepreneurs will not only be inspired by Berry Gordy’s legacy of innovation but also equipped to build on it,” he added.

As the endowment grows, there is potential for the scholarship to support more than one student.

Read about the new scholarship here.