Houston Music Foundation opens another round of grants for industry workers

Local music industry professionals can now apply for a $500 grant through a new round of aid from the Houston Music Foundation.

The new funds, announced Dec. 16, were raised in part through a partnership between Houston rapper Bun B and Antone's Famous Po' Boys as well as through direct donations from Bun B totaling $15,000.

“We are so grateful to Bun and Antone’s for responding to the needs of this community, especially right now,” HMF co-founder Rachel Austin said in a news release. “With the holidays coming up and the pandemic dragging on, there are so many struggling to make ends meet. While this might not be a long-term solution, we hope it will provide some immediate, tangible help for those who need to put food on the table and gifts under the tree for their children.”

This distribution of funds will be open to all music professionals, including gig workers, creatives and venue staff, according to the news release.

“There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into the local music industry,” co-founder Mark C. Austin said in the release. “From the stages, lights and sound to artist management and recording studios, our entire industry’s ecosystem needs to be protected as we weather this storm. Opening our grant program to all qualifying local music industry professionals is key to the overall survival of the industry. We hope to be able to serve more as this program grows.”

The application period opened Dec. 16, and once the recipients are selected, funds will be disbursed within a week, according to the foundation. The applications are available through https://houstonmusicfoundation.org.

Since its launch in April, the foundation has raised and distributed over $80,000 in grants to Harris County musicians.