Scholarships

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WATERBEAR MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS

We work with some of the industry’s biggest names to bring scholarships and awards to artists and industry professionals across our BA (Hons), master’s and online courses. Our scholarships are reviewed annually, with applications opening in the Spring. See below for some of our most recent scholarship partners and scholarships over time.

2025 scholarship awards

Please find below our BA (Hons) and master’s scholarships awards for 2025, offered in partnership with Skindred, The Sarah Nulty Foundation, Sentric Music, and Love Music Hate Racism. We also offer two community scholarships in partnerships with Slambarz and AudioActive. Please note that applications are now closed.

BRIGHTON 2025

Skindred BA (Hons) Scholarship 2025

WaterBear has teamed up with Welsh rock band Skindred to offer this BA (Hons) scholarship award for 2025. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their degree at WaterBear Brighton. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our Brighton-based 3-year on-site BA (Hons) Professional Music degrees in either Performance, Production, Electronic Music, Business or Songwriting. Please note: This scholarship is now closed and the winner will be notified by 30th August 2025.

Sheffield 2025

Sarah Nulty Foundation BA (Hons) Scholarship 2025

WaterBear has teamed up with the Sarah Nulty Foundation to offer this BA (Hons) scholarship award for 2025. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their degree at WaterBear Sheffield. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our Sheffield-based 3-year on-site BA (Hons) Professional Music degrees in either Performance, Production, Electronic Music, Business or Songwriting. Please note: This scholarship is now closed and the winner will be notified by 30th August 2025.

BRIGHTON, SHEFFIELD AND ONLINE 2025

Love Music Hate Racism MA Scholarship 2025

WaterBear has teamed up with Love Music Hate Racism to offer this MA scholarship award for 2025. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their master’s degree at WaterBear. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our 1-year on-site MA Music Business, 1-year on-site MA Music Performance, Production & Business, 1-year on-site or online MA Songwriting, and the 1-year on-site or online MA Music Education degree which can be studied from September 2025. Please note: This scholarship is now closed and the winner will be notified by 30th August 2025.

ONLINE 2025

Sentric Music Publishing Scholarship 2025

WaterBear has teamed up with Sentric to offer this MA scholarship award for 2025. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their master’s degree at WaterBear. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our 1-year on-site MA Music Business, 1-year on-site MA Music Performance, Production & Business, 1-year on-site or online MA Songwriting, and the 1-year on-site or online MA Music Education degree which can be studied from September 2025. Please note: This scholarship is now closed and the winner will be notified by 30th August 2025.

BRIGHTON (2023, 2024) 2025

AudioActive Scholarship Award 2025

WaterBear have partnered with AudioActive to offer a scholarship award to an AudioActive emerging artist for 2025. The award covers tuition fees for 3 years of a BA (Hons) degree course at WaterBear Brighton. AudioActive, is a non-profit music organisation that focus on creating social change by empowering young people through making music. Please note: This scholarship is now closed and the winner will be notified by 30th August 2025.

SHEFFIELD (2024) 2025

Slambarz Scholarship Award 2025

Slambarz and WaterBear have teamed up to offer one lucky Slambarz artist a 3-year scholarship award at WaterBear Sheffield for September 2025.  This scholarship is formed in collaboration with Slambarz, a music events initiative open to young lyricists, rappers and music producers between the ages of 14 and 25 from across Sheffield and beyond. Please note: This scholarship is now closed and the winner will be notified by 30th August 2025.

OUR PREVIOUS BA (HONS) SCHOLARSHIPS

SHEFFIELD & ONLINE (2024)

Tramlines Scholarship

WaterBear have teamed up with Tramlines Festival to offer this scholarship award for 2024. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their degree at WaterBear Sheffield. The courses eligible are our Sheffield-based 3-year on-site BA (Hons) Professional Music degree courses in either Performance, Production, Electronic Music, Business or Songwriting, and our 2-year BA (Hons) online degrees in Creative Music Production or Songwriting & Music Performance, which can be studied from September 2024.

BRIGHTON (2024)

Music Venue Trust BA (Hons) Scholarship

WaterBear has teamed up with the Music Venue Trust to offer this BA (Hons) scholarship award for 2024. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their degree at WaterBear Brighton. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our Brighton-based 3-year on-site BA (Hons) Professional Music degree courses in either Performance, Production, Electronic Music, Business or Songwriting, and our 2-year BA (Hons) online degrees in Creative Music Production, and Songwriting & Music Performance, which can be studied from September 2024.

SHEFFIELD (2023)

Pattern + Push Scholarship Award

We are excited to announce a brand-new scholarship formed in collaboration with Pattern + Push, who provide a platform to help new and emerging talent achieve their goals, encouraging positivity and empowerment through music.

SHEFFIELD & ONLINE (2023)

While She Sleeps Scholarship Award

To celebrate the opening of our new college in Sheffield, WaterBear have partnered up with Sheffield Metalcore icons While She Sleeps to offer a course scholarship in their name. The While She Sleeps Scholarship award will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their degree at WaterBear. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our Sheffield-based 3-year on-site BA (Hons) Professional Music degrees in either Performance, Production, Electronic Music, Business or Songwriting, and our 2-year BA (Hons) online degrees in Creative Music Production, and Songwriting & Music Performance, which can be studied from September 2023.

BRIGHTON (2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023)

Royal Blood Scholarship Award

Run in collaboration with WaterBear Patrons Royal Blood, The Royal Blood Scholarship award covers all tuition fees for one student throughout their degree at WaterBear. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our Brighton-based 3-year BA (Hons) on-site degrees or 2-year BA (Hons) online degrees. We’re immensely proud to have Royal Blood on board, giving back to and supporting upcoming musicians. They are true genre pioneers who continue to innovate and push musical boundaries.

BRIGHTON (2022)

Beatport Scholarship Award

Beatport, one of the world’s largest and most successful online music stores for electronic music, has partnered with WaterBear to offer the Beatport Scholarship for 2022. The Beatport Scholarship will cover tuition fees for one lucky student for their degree course at WaterBear. The course eligible for the scholarship award is the BA (Hons) Electronic Music & Business (3yr and 2yr options).

BRIGHTON (2021)

Carl Cox Scholarship Award

World-renowned DJ and producer Carl Cox has been at the pinnacle of his profession for nearly 3 decades and is someone who continues to innovate and inspire through his music. He has partnered with WaterBear to create a scholarship award linked to our BA (Hons) Electronic Music and Business degree. The award consists of £15,000 of musical equipment for one student and can be applied for by all students enrolling on the 3-yr version of the course.

BRIGHTON (2020)

Cory Wong Scholarship Award

Legendary guitarist Cory Wong (Vulfpeck, The Fearless Flyers) has teamed up with WaterBear to offer a scholarship in his name. The Cory Wong Scholarship award covers all tuition fees for one student throughout their degree at WaterBear. The course eligible is the 2-yr online option of the BA (Hons) Career Musician degree. Cory is a stellar musician, known for his innovation and ground-breaking work with Vulfpeck and other numerous influential musical projects.

OUR PREVIOUS MA SCHOLARSHIPS

BRIGHTON (2024)

Music Venue Trust MA Scholarship

WaterBear have teamed up with the Music Venue Trust to offer this scholarship award for 2024. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their master’s degree at WaterBear. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are our 1-year on-site MA Music Business, 1-year on-site MA Music Performance, Production & Business, 1-year on-site MA Songwriting, and the 1-year online MA Songwriting degree, which can be studied from September 2024.

SHEFFIELD, BRIGHTON & ONLINE (2023)

The Leadmill Scholarship Award

The iconic Sheffield music venue The Leadmill has teamed up with WaterBear to offer a scholarship award to cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their master’s degree at WaterBear. The course eligible for this scholarship award is the MA Music Industry Enterprise degree which can be studied as a full-time 1-year onsite course at either our Brighton or Sheffield campus, starting September 2023, or online, part-time, over 2-years, starting in January 2024.

BRIGHTON (2022)

Damian Keyes Scholarship Award

Damian Keyes, award-winning entrepreneur, educator, author, social media specialist and long-time friend of WaterBear, has teamed up with the College to offer a scholarship award in his name. The Damian Keyes Scholarship award will cover all tuition fees for one lucky student throughout their master’s degree at WaterBear. The courses eligible for the scholarship award are the 1-year MA Music Industry Enterprise course and the 1-year MA Music Performance, Production & Business course, which can be studied on-site in Brighton, starting September 2022.

WATERBEAR SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Meet some of our fantastic scholarship winners.

VIEW OUR 2025

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