Alumni and faculty from across UNT colleges and schools were nominated or part of projects nominated in the 2023 awards (people with UNT ties in bold):

BEST ARRANGEMENT (INSTRUMENTAL or A CAPELLA)
Kings Return — “How Deep is your Love”
College of Music faculty member Rosana Eckert (producer) and College of Music alumnus Vaughn Faison (Kings Return member)

BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
College of Music Alumnus Jeff Coffin — “Between Dreaming and Joy”
College of Music Alumni Michael League, Shaun Martin, Justin Stanton, Chris Bullock and Mike Maher of Snarky Puppy — “Empire Central”

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
UNT Alumna Maren Morris — “Humble Quest”

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
UNT Alumna Maren Morris — “Circles Around This Town”

BEST COUNTRY SONG
UNT Alumna Maren Morris — “Circles Around This Town”

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows — “Architecture of Storms”
College of Music faculty member Philip Dizack (trumpet)

BEST NEW ARTIST
UNT Alumnus Tobe Nwigwe

BEST OPERA RECORDING
Metropolitan Opera — “Fire Shut Up In My Bones”
College of Music Alumna Latonia Moore as Billie

BEST TRADITIONAL POP ALBUM
College of Music Alumna Norah Jones — “I Dream of Christmas (Extended)”

Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Andrew Chung, received recognition at the recently held annual meeting of the Society for Music Theory. He was named a recipient of the Society’s Emerging Scholar Award for his article "What is Musical Meaning? Theorizing Music as Performative Utterance" in Music Theory Online. The award recognizes “significant contributions to music theory, analysis, or history of theory.”

Professor of Piano, Pamela Mia Paul, was jury panel chair of the 2022 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Meet the panel here.

The United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus released a video celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The video is a collaboration with the University of North Texas College of Music Mariachi Águilas performing “De Colores” filmed at the Dallas Latino Cultural Center.

Grammy, Oscar, 24-time Emmy nominee and 10-time Emmy winner, Bruce Broughton, returns to the University of North Texas College of Music as Media Composer In Residence for the seventh year.

Professor and Director of Choral Studies, Allen Hightower, has been announced as the Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus for the 2022-2023 Season. The announcement was made after the retirement of UNT alumna Betsy Cook Weber as director of the ensemble.

University of North Texas UNT Opera Graduate Artist Certificate student, Taylor Carnes, has won a National Opera Association's JoElyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship. 

Robert Blocker (MM ’70, DMA ’72) will retire Summer 2023 as the Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music at the Yale School of Music.

Sam Flippin (PhD ‘22, music education, MMEd ’17, BM '08, accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Music Education (tenure-track) at Texas State University.

Renée McGee, trumpet, has been selected to receive an "Air Force Diversity Fellowship" by The United States Air Force Band and includes a residency to rehearse and perform with the Airmen of Note in Washington, DC in July. Photo: Jerry Almonte.

University of North Texas Professor Sean Powell, Chair of the Division of Music Education, has been named Chair of the Executive Committee of the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE). The appointment was made by National Association for Music Education President and Board Chair Scott R. Sheehan.