Grammys Music Educator Award: Arvada West Teacher Named Finalist

ARVADA, CO — A music teacher and choral director at Arvada West High School has been chosen as a finalist for the Music Educator of the Year Grammy.

Chris Maunu has received the nomination for the third time. He was chosen out of nearly 1,000 educators from across the United States.

The award, which is presented by The Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, highlights educators who are inspiring the artists of tomorrow.

"For every performer who makes it to the GRAMMY stage, there was a teacher who played a critical role in getting them there," the Grammy Museum said in a statement.

"And really, that’s true for all of us who are making music today. Maybe they introduced you to your first instrument. Or they showed you how to get over your stage fright. Or maybe they just inspired you to have the confidence to go for it when you were ready to give up.

"It’s time to say thank you to ALL of those teachers who put in ALL of those hours to make sure that ALL of us love and play music today!"

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The award winner will receive a $10,000 prize and a $10,000 matching grant for their music program.

All finalists received a $1,000 honorarium, and Maunu also received a matching grant for Arvada West's music program for the nomination.

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards are set to be presented in January.