Prizes and Awards

The Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition is awarded every two years for a single musical work, published or unpublished and written within the last five years, that reflects a larger history of excellence on the part of the composer. Dr. William and Pr. Nancy Raabe of Philadelphia endowed this prize in 1999 to recognize and encourage significant accomplishments in composition contributing to the body of sacred music for the church in the Lutheran heritage. In 2016 the Raabes funded an expansion of the Raabe Prize to support additional projects. The $2,000 monetary award is shared equally by the winner and a musical or ecclesiastical organization chosen by the composer. Read more…

The Faithful Servant Award (formerly Honorary Lifetime Member) was established in recognition of and appreciation for those who have made extraordinary contributions to the worship life of the church. This award is presented every two years at the biennial conference. Read more…

The Norma Aamodt-Nelson Student Scholar Award was established in 2021 to honor the legacy of Norma, a practicing church musician and Instrumental Acquisitions Editor for Augsburg Fortress from 1993 until her death in 2020. The establishment of this award encourages collegiate students as they prepare for a vocation in church music. Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student as of the fall semester. The recipient receives a full scholarship for the ALCM biennial conference, including housing and travel expenses, as well as a cash prize of $500. The recipient will also be invited to publicly play a piece at the conference. Read more…

The Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition was established by The Center for Church Music at Concordia University Chicago, in partnership with the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, to honor the legacy of Concordia University Chicago distinguished professor of music Dr. Richard Hillert. His legacy includes not only his many liturgical pieces and musical works, but also his many gifts for teaching composition. The Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition is awarded every other year to a current student at (or recent graduate of) a Lutheran university or seminary. Read more…