Meet the Nominees for the 2026 Sonic Guild Seattle Artist Grants
Discover your next favorite local artist and help put $100,000 into Seattle’s music community. Round 1 voting runs October 30 through November 8.
The nominees for the 2026 Sonic Guild Seattle Artist Grants are here!
Every nomination represents someone who heard an artist’s music and wanted to see it supported. To everyone who nominated an artist, and to the musicians making this region such an extraordinary place to hear live music: thank you.
This year, 10 Seattle-area artists will each receive a $10,000 unrestricted grant, funded by the generosity of Sonic Guild members. That support gives musicians room to create, record, tour, purchase equipment, and take the next steps in their careers.
Now, it’s time to listen.
Start with the music
Our 2026 Artist Grant Listening Guide brings this year’s nominees together in one place, with links to explore their music.
Whether you’re casting a ballot or simply looking for something new to listen to, we hope you’ll spend time with these artists. Revisit a favorite, follow a name you haven’t heard before, and share a discovery with someone who loves local music.
The listening guide is open to everyone. Voting takes place through a separate ballot sent to eligible voters.
How the selection process works
Artist Grant recipients are selected through two rounds of voting involving eligible Sonic Guild members, past Artist Grant recipients, and music industry advisors.
Round 1: Select the Top 40
Beginning October 30, eligible voters listen to the nominees and select 1 to 10 different artists. Each artist selection counts equally, and the order of selections does not matter. Round 1 determines the 40 finalists.
Round 2: Select the 10 grant recipients
On November 13, we’ll announce the Top 40 and open the final round of voting. From those finalists, voters will select the 10 artists who will each receive a $10,000 grant.
Voting is not open to the general public. The number of nominations an artist received does not give them additional votes, and social media likes, shares, and follower counts do not determine the results.
What Round 1 voters need to know
Listen before voting. Make time for artists you haven’t heard before alongside those you already know.
Select 1 to 10 different artists. Each artist can appear only once on your ballot.
Use your own name and the email Sonic Guild has on file for you. This helps us confirm your eligibility.
Write-ins are allowed in Round 1, including artists who were not nominated, provided they meet the grant eligibility requirements. Sonic Guild will review write-ins before counting them. There are no write-ins in the final round.
You can update your choices. Submit a new, complete ballot before the cutoff. Your latest valid, complete ballot replaces your previous ballot, so include every artist you want to select.
Round 1’s main deadline is November 8 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. A grace period for late submissions and replacement ballots ends November 9 at noon. No new voting choices will be accepted after that cutoff.
Eligible voters may participate in the final round even if they did not vote in Round 1.
Become a member and help choose who receives support
Sonic Guild is a community of people who believe local music is worth investing in. Our members help fund artist grants and programs while coming together throughout the year to discover music, attend intimate shows, and connect with the people making it.
Want to take part in grant voting? Join with an annual membership. Members with current annual dues are eligible to vote. Monthly members must have been active for at least three months to qualify.
If you’re joining now and want to participate in this year’s voting, choose an annual membership. A new monthly membership will not meet the three-month requirement during this voting cycle.
Artists do not need to be Sonic Guild members to be considered for a grant.
Save these dates
All voting times are Pacific Time.
Date | What happens |
September 30–October 20, 2026 | Public nominations |
October 30 at 8 a.m. | Nominees announced and Round 1 voting opens |
November 8 at 11:59 p.m. | Round 1 voting deadline |
November 9 at noon | Round 1 grace period ends |
November 13 at 8 a.m. | Top 40 announced and final voting opens |
November 20 at 11:59 p.m. | Final voting deadline |
November 21 at noon | Final-round grace period ends |
December 11 | 2026 Artist Grant recipients announced |
February 20, 2027 | Grant Celebration at The Triple Door |
To our nominees: congratulations!
Someone in this community wants to hear more of what you make. That is worth celebrating.
You’re welcome to create your own nominee graphic and share the news. Tag @sonicguildseattlewa so we can celebrate with you. Sharing is completely optional, and there is no expectation that you campaign.
Need to update an artist name or listening link? Have a question about the process? Email seattle.grants@sonicguild.org.
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