**In October 2020, New Music USA announced the launch of Reel Change: The Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring, powered by SESAC and composer Christophe Beck, sponsored by Amazon Studios, and administered by New Music USA.**

  
Responding to the fact that the vast majority of films are scored by white men, Reel Change is a grants and mentorship program for composers of diverse backgrounds who have been marginalized in film composition.

The fund, initially established as a five-year grant and mentorship program in 2020, has been renewed for another three years. It supports film projects currently in production, where additional funding and mentoring would help composers at a pivotal moment in their careers. Four to six grants averaging $20,000 will be allocated each year of the program. Supportable expenses include composer compensation, musician fees, recording and sound mastering fees, studio expenses, orchestration, production equipment, and more. In its first five years, Reel Change has supported 29 grantees and has granted over $450,000 in funding. Sponsors for this initiative are Spitfire Audio, Steinberg, and Native Instruments. Spitfire Audio will donate $1K in software packages to each grantee and promotional support of the Reel Change program. Steinberg will provide hardware and software packages. Native Instruments will provide the flagship music production suite Komplete Collectors Edition for each grantee.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling timeline by an advisory board made up of leading composers of film music, including Christophe Beck, Jongnic “JB” Bontemps, Kris Bowers, Miriam Cutler, Chanda Dancy, Vivek Maddala, Tony Morales, Carlos Rafael Rivera, and Pinar Toprak. Members of this advisory board will offer additional support and mentorship for interested applicants.

Four to six grants averaging $20,000 will be allocated each year of the program.

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