Coty Raven Morris advances to finals in GRAMMY 2025 Music Educator Award

Coty Raven Morris, Portland State University's Hinckley Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education and Social Justice, has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the GRAMMY 2025 Music Educator Award. This marks the second year that Morris has achieved this recognition, highlighting her influential work in choral education and her commitment to social justice and emotional wellness through the shared experience of music.

The GRAMMY Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum, honors educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Morris has been recognized for her innovative teaching methods and dedication to fostering self-compassion, empathy and empowerment through music. Morris was one of more than 2,400 music teachers from across the nation initially nominated for the award, and was named one of 215 quarterfinalists in spring 2024. In October, she was selected as one of just 25 semifinalists. Of the 10 finalists, she is the only music educator from a college or university.

"Coty's extraordinary teaching skills, musicianship and ability to connect with her students through the practice of singing together are a joy to witness," said Leroy E. Bynum, Jr., dean of the College of the Arts at Portland State University. "Through her warmth and relentless dedication, she empowers every student to embrace and refine their musical skill-all while having fun in the process."

At PSU, Morris leads the Rose and Thorn Choirs and combined Briar Choir, as well as mentoring graduate students training to become choir directors themselves and has developed programs that center on using choir as a tool for connection, emotional wellness, and social equity. She has cultivated a choral community where students feel seen, heard, and encouraged to be themselves.

"What a joy to be in the Finals for the Grammy Music Educator Award! The choir students are already preparing for our Grammy party, because no matter what happens, we celebrate joy when we encounter it and practice uplifting these moments as they come," Morris said. "Congratulations to my peers in the top 10. I only hope to be a positive representative and advocate for the importance of music in our schools."

Morris is the founder of Being Human Together, a community utilizing music education to normalize challenging topics through conversation and connection, tackling subjects like mental health, oppression, diversity and inclusivity. Under the umbrella of Being Human Together, as part of her work at Portland State University, Morris launched an initiative that brings together people from all backgrounds, including those who lack stable housing, to participate in community choir. As part of this initiative, Morris hosts concerts and "community sings" - joyful group singing events that are open to all.

In June 2025, Morris will lead the combined Rose and Thorn Choirs (known collectively as the Briar Choir) to new heights as part of All Choir Directors Chorus at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium in New York City, where she will be Composer-in-Residence.

Morris holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Music from Texas State University. A sought-after choral clinician, she leads workshops and presentations at educational conferences across the nation, from the American Choral Directors Association to the National Association for Music Education and beyond. She also teaches choir workshops at camps, elementary schools and high schools around the country, and she brings the joy of music to radio listeners in the Portland area and around the Internet as a contributing host and producer on AllClassical Radio, and the host of the seasonal program "Sound in Print."

The winner of the 2025 Music Educator Award will receive a $10,000 honorarium and a matching grant for their institution's music program, and will be publicly recognized in the days prior to the 2024 GRAMMY awards on February 2. The other nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grant.

PSU's Chamber Choir, Thorn Choir and Rose Choir will present "Kaleidoscope," a winter concert of choral works from around the world, on Friday, February 28 and Sunday, March 2. And members of the public are invited to experience a "community sing" with Morris and her students at "But a Thimble," a concert featuring the PSU University Choir, Community Chorus and Vocal Collective, Friday, March 7, at First Christian Church in Portland.

Read more about Morris's Grammy nominations.