The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) today announced a collaboration with HBCU AWAREFEST, the largest fundraising event for HBCUs convened through the partnership between Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) and Live Nation Urban, to create paid pathways into the live music industry for students. Through a special cohort of the BMAC Live Accelerator Program, 15 students will receive paid, hands-on experience working behind the scenes of the multi-day festival while gaining real-world exposure to careers in live entertainment.
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“At Student Freedom Initiative, we believe one of the most powerful forms of learning is through experiential learning, particularly when students are contributing to their own communities,” said Keith Shoates, President and CEO of Student Freedom Initiative. “This partnership with BMAC will provide selected HBCU students with the opportunity to build real skills, earn income, and see with their own eyes how their talents can contribute to industries that shape culture while supporting the institutions that invest in them.”
“This partnership is about transforming ambition into access and access into opportunity,” said Willie Prophet Stiggers, Co-Founder and CEO of the Black Music Action Coalition. “As HBCU AWAREFEST raises critical funds to help fight student debt, BMAC LIVE ensures students aren’t just beneficiaries of change, they’re participants in it. The live music business fuels culture and commerce, yet too many students from HBCUs are kept on the outside looking in. Through BMAC’s partnership with Live Nation Urban and SFI, we’re creating real opportunities for HBCU students to earn while they learn, gain paid, hands-on experience, and build sustainable, long-term careers in live entertainment.”
Students can now apply for the BMAC LIVE x HBCU AWAREFEST cohort taking place March 20-26, 2026, in Atlanta, GA. Selected students from Atlanta-based HBCUs will participate in virtual and in-person educational sessions and work in paid roles supporting the festival’s production team. Participants will gain mentorship and real work experience across key areas of the live music ecosystem, including production, talent booking, marketing, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, and event management.
“HBCU AWAREFEST was built to celebrate Black culture while creating real impact for HBCU students, and this collaboration with BMAC advances that mission,” said Shawn Gee, President of Live Nation Urban. “Bringing the BMAC Live Accelerator to the festival gives students immersive insight into how the live music business works behind the scenes, strengthening the talent pipeline and helping them build skills, gain experience, and explore career paths in an industry that shapes culture worldwide.”
HBCU AWAREFEST’s culminating live music show will serve as the program’s capstone experience, following a full week of on-the-ground learning supporting various festival programming. As the largest fundraising event for HBCUs, HBCU AWAREFEST offers BMAC Live participants a rare opportunity to develop critical skillsets while contributing to a mission-driven celebration of culture, creativity, and community impact.
