Music Scholarship Launched In Honour of Artist SOPHIE
Image: msmsmsm_forever/Instagram
A scholarship to support women, transgender and non-binary in music production and sound engineering has been launched in honour of legendary music producer SOPHIE.
The SOPHIE Scholarship Fund is a collaboration between non-profit organisation We Are Moving The Needle, and MSMSMSM FOREVER, a platform dedicated to SOPHIE’s legacy.
“Alongside @wearemovingtheneedle, we are proud to announce this scholarship fund in Sophie’s name,” MSMSMSM FOREVER wrote in an Instagram statement.
“Sophie was passionate about the future of music, and, just like she did, we can’t wait to see many more women, trans and non-binary creators change the game.”
In a statement on the scholarship website, We Are Moving The Needle said they were “thrilled to celebrate her indelible mark as it lives on in the next generation of trailblazers.”
“SOPHIE’s legacy is a beacon of inspiration to countless creators and her innovations continue to shape the future of music.”
Applicants who are or will be enrolled in degrees in music production, audio engineering, sound technology, and other related fields in the upcoming academic year can apply for grants of either $5000 or $10,000 in support of their studies.
We Are Moving The Needle has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships since 2021, allowing women and non-binary people to attend workshops and programs, supporting the typically underrepresented group to work as recording industry professionals, audio engineers and producers.
A lasting impact on the shape of music
SOPHIE passed away at the age of 34 after she fell from a roof she had climbed to see the full moon in 2021.
She was a pioneer of hyperpop, and worked closely with artists including Kim Petras and Charli XCX, the latter of whom she famously collaborated with on the Vroom Vroom EP.
SOPHIE’s 2018 album Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album. In the same year, she won the Innovator award at the Association of Independent Music Awards.
To be truly deserving of this award involved not only changing the sound of today’s music, but also ripping apart a deeply entrenched and deeply flawed patriarchal society,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Creating a more diverse, inspiring and meaningful future for us and the generations whose lives our decisions affect and help shape.”
Her posthumous album Sophie was released in September, and featured collaborations with Petras, Hannah Diamond, and Jozzy.
