Allocation of Funding: Scholarship PLUS 2025

Musicboard Berlin awards a total of 22 scholarships and 24 spots in the new PLUS mentoring and coaching programme to Berlin-based musicians.

The Musicboard scholarships support Berlin musicians and bands in realising a project of their own choosing. These are intended to serve individual artistic development and professionalisation. Funding can be provided, for example, for creating albums and videos, promotion and marketing, the songwriting process itself, and developing artistic collaborations and co-productions.

After a successful pilot programme last year, the Musicboard scholarships are awarded for the first time in combination with the mentoring and coaching programme PLUS. Developed and implemented in cooperation with Music Pool Berlin, the programme offers selected musicians not only financial support through the scholarship but also individual coaching and mentoring that accompanies them for several months as they work on their funded project. Through a combination of mentoring and coaching, musicians and bands receive comprehensive support for the strategic development of their careers. In addition, community events offer opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and sustainable connections among the musicians.

The scholarships are awarded based on the recommendation of a six-member independent jury consisting of experts from the Berlin music scene. The jury includes Aida Baghernejad (cultural journalist), Ebru »Ebow« Düzgün (artist, label owner, manager, event organiser), Ji-Hun Kim (editor-in-chief of Das Filter, freelance lecturer, DJ, music producer), Misla Tesfamariam (artist manager, label owner), Peer Steinwald (Senior Director Creative Services Germany at Budde Music), and Yeşim Duman (curator, moderator, DJ).

In 2025, a total of 468 musicians and bands applied for a Musicboard scholarship. The total amount of funding requested adds up to 3,895,117.56 euros. Of these applicants, the majority (302 applicants, 64.53%) also applied for the new mentoring and coaching programme PLUS.

SCHOLARSHIPS

In total, Musicboard awards 22 scholarships with a total funding volume of €130,000. In addition, alternates are nominated. The following artists receive a Musicboard scholarship in 2025:

PLUS – PARTICIPATION IN THE MENTORING AND COACHING PROGRAMME

In cooperation with Music Pool Berlin, Musicboard offers 24 spots in the PLUS mentoring and coaching programme. 14 of the participants also receive a Musicboard scholarship. The following artists are taking part in the PLUS programme in 2025: