Announcing the 2024 PHF Community Engagement Grant Awardees
Part of our mission to protect, preserve and perpetuate New Orleans musical traditions includes working to strengthen the ecosystem of the city’s cultural community, partnering with fellow cultural organizations, sharing resources and knowledge, and facilitating connections that benefit the community at large.
This year, we were thrilled to award a record $45,000 to support 30 individuals, cultural institutions, and projects dedicated to enriching New Orleans. Each recipient received $1,500 in recognition of their unique contributions.
This year’s awards introduced five new music-centered members to our community engagement network: Majekfingers Drumming School, Next Generation Brass Band, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Thank You Sister Gertrude Film, and Circle of Chiefs. While their projects vary, all of these awardees share a commitment to preserving and strengthening New Orleans’ vibrant cultural heritage.
We look forward to highlighting these outstanding members of the community in the weeks and months ahead – be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on additional awardees and more about these cultural pillars of our community:
Ashe Cultural Arts Center
Celebrating the people, places, and philosophies of the African diaspora.
More about Ashe Cultural Arts Center
BE NOLA (Black Education for New Orleans)
Igniting the Black Brilliance that exists throughout schools and neighborhoods to assure Black children thrive.
More about BE NOLA
Benny Jones / Treme Brass Band
Musician, culture bearer, founder of the Treme Brass Band.
More about Benny Jones
Bill Summers / Klub Kid
Iconic percussionist with a drive to affect social change within the music industry through “Knowledge, Independence and Determination.”
More about Bill Summers
Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Musician and culture bearer dedicated to New Orleans’ parade culture and the musical ethnography of Creole Louisiana.
More about Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Circle of Chiefs
Bringing together the Mardi Gras Indians, dedicated to cultural preservation and community outreach.
More about Circle of Chiefs
Committee for a Better New Orleans
Working to equip New Orleans community leaders with the knowledge, networks, and skills they need to build thriving communities.
More about CBNO
CubaNOLA Arts Collective
Using the power of live music, dance, festivity and diversity to promote cultural wellness and equity.
More about CubaNOLA
Cyril Neville
Iconic New Orleans musician, percussionist and vocalist (The Meters, Neville Brothers Band)
More about Cyril Neville
Denise Augustine / Our Sacred Stories
7th generation Creole storyteller sharing the authentic cultures and traditions of New Orleans with visitors.
More about Denise Augustine
Dodie Smith-Simmons
Civil Rights activist & Founding member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), champion of New Orleans live music.
More about Dodie Smith-Simmons
Donald Harrison
Saxophonist and Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group .
More about Donald Harrison
Girls Play Trumpets Too
Empowering girls to play the trumpet on a novice and advanced level to enhance equal representation in a male-dominated music industry.
More about Girls Play Trumpet Too
GLBL WRMNG
Changing the climate of the music industry while respecting, educating, & expanding the culture via a New Orleans-based artist, producer, creative & music business collective
More about GLBL WRMNG
House of Dance & Feathers
A cultural museum based on Ronald W. Lewis' participation in New Orleans culture, preserving and sharing knowledge and traditions to the next generation.
More about House of Dance & Feathers
LEDE New Orleans
Equipping emerging creatives with skills, tools and resources to transform how local media serves our communities.
More about LEDE
Leslie Cooper
Founder of Founder of Pass It On instrument exchange and New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp.
More about Leslie Cooper
Majekfingers Drumming School International
Promoting and revitalizing the art of drumming locally and internationally through team building, workshops, educational events and more.
More about Majekfingers Drumming School
McKenna Museum of African Art
An institution that collects, interprets and preserves the visual aesthetic of people of African descent in North America and beyond.
More about McKenna Museum
Mia X
Musician, rapper, songwriter, trailblazer in the bounce genre, and first female rapper inducted into No Limit Records.
More about Mia X
Monique Moss
Choreographer, Independent Curator, History Tour Guide, and Artistic Director of Third Eye Theatre Interdisciplinary and Improvisational Performance Company.
More about Monique Moss
New Breed Brass Band
Though the young musicians were ensconced in second line culture, New Breed Brass Band presents a brand of second line music in conversation with everything from Caribbean music to No Limit Records to modern R&B.
More about the New Breed Brass Band
New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Bristling brass band with a modern soul empowering the youth of New Orleans through musical mentorship.
More about the New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Next Generation Jazz Band
A brass band that is all about innovation.
More about Next Generation Jazz Band
Original Pinettes Brass Band
New Orleans-based all-female brass band – the only all-female brass band in the world
More about the Pinettes Brass Band
Papa Titos Sompa
Master percussionist and community leader
More about Papa Titos Sompa
Pat Byrd
Daughter of Professor Longhair and cultural activist
More about Pat Byrd
Save Our Brass
A non-profit organization formed by New Orleans Brass Bands members to protect and serve its culture and interests.
More about Save Our Brass
Thank You Sister Gertrude Film
A Feature Documentary on Sister Gertrude Morgan, whose influence reached far beyond her one-room New Orleans Ninth Ward Mission affecting and empowering the artistic lives of creators and musicians for a generation and beyond.
More about Thank You Sister
The Neighborhood Story Project
Producing books, exhibits, events, and courses that share the complex stories of South Louisiana with each other and the world
More about the Neighborhood Story Project
Stay tuned for our social media for feature stories on these incredible community leaders.