Veronica Irwin Announced as Third Annual Winner of BMI Founders Award for Radio Broadcasting
Veronica Irwin, 2018 BMI Founders Award Scholarship winner
The BMI Foundation is pleased to announce University of California, Berkeley student Veronica Irwin as the winner of the third annual BMI Founders Award for Radio Broadcasting scholarship competition. The award will be presented by Broadcast Music Inc.’s (BMI) Vice President of Industry Relations and scholarship Director Dan Spears at the 43rd annual Conclave Learning Conference on July 19, 2018, in Minneapolis, MN.
Established in honor of BMI’s Board of Directors by BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill and launched in 2015, the BMI Founders Award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded BMI in 1939 with a groundbreaking open-door policy supporting songwriters, composers, and publishers of all genres of music. The program aims to encourage students who will further this legacy as future innovators of broadcast radio, awarding a $5,000 scholarship annually based on an applicant’s original essay response and academic record.
Irwin’s winning essay discussed the ways in which her grandfather, a sports radio broadcaster who passed away from cancer in 2012, influenced her decision to pursue a career in radio broadcasting. The judges praised her heartfelt writing, as well as her thoughtful comparison of journalism during her grandfather’s era and the digital journalism of today – particularly what she describes as “the loss of a desire for truth over opinion.”
"I’m so thankful to Broadcast Music Inc. for making this scholarship possible,” said Irwin. “I feel incredibly honored to be recognized for my work, especially by such an inspiring organization like the BMI Foundation."
Irwin is entering her senior year as a media studies major, minoring in music and journalism, with the goal of developing an academic emphasis on radio broadcasting. As a radio DJ and publicity/promotional intern for her campus radio station, Irwin focuses on connecting her station to the local community by highlighting local artists and facilitating relationships with local venues. She also has a background in talk radio, assistant-producing a weekly show dedicated to progressive social issues for Los Angeles Pacifica radio station KPFK.
About the BMI Foundation
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and like “BMI Foundation” on Facebook at facebook.com/bmifoundation.