Help us recognize the artists making Seattle’s music community what it is.
Sonic Guild is a community of people who believe local music is worth investing in. Our members come together at shows throughout the year to discover and celebrate local artists, while their support helps fund grants and programs that put resources directly into musicians’ hands.
In 2026, Sonic Guild will award 10 Seattle-area artists $10,000 each, investing another $100,000 directly into our local music community.
Nominations are open September 30 through October 20, 2026.
Anyone can nominate an artist. Nominate someone you love, someone you work with, your own band or project, or yourself. One nomination is all it takes for an eligible artist to be considered.
Before you nominate:
Artists must be active working musicians and based within approximately 100 miles of Seattle, including Tacoma, Olympia, Bellingham, and the surrounding region. We’re looking for artists who are engaged in creating original music, performing regularly, and pursuing a professional music career.
A few things to know:
- Artists may self-nominate.
- Artists do not need to be Sonic Guild members or have previously performed at a Sonic Guild event.
- Previous Sonic Guild Artist Grant recipients are not eligible to receive another grant for the same project. Past recipients may be eligible for a new or separate project. See past grantees here: https://www.sonicguild.org/seattle-chapter/seattle-artists
- Multiple nominations do not increase an artist’s chances, but you’re welcome to nominate as many different artists as you’d like.
- Receiving other support (tour support, producers grant) from Sonic Guild does not make an artist ineligible.
After nominations close, Sonic Guild will verify each artist’s eligibility before voting begins. Voting includes voices from across our music community, including Sonic Guild members, past grantees, and music industry professionals. Round 1 narrows the field to 40 artists, followed by a final round to select the 10 grant recipients.
2026 Artist Grant Timeline
- September 30: Nominations open
- October 20: Nominations close
- October 30: Eligible nominees announced + Round 1 voting opens
- November 9: Round 1 voting closes
- November 13: Top 40 announced + final voting opens
- November 20: Final voting closes
- December 11: 2026 Artist Grant recipients announced
- February 20, 2027: Artist Grant Celebration at The Triple Door