Founders Award

An annual fundraiser to benefit EMP's youth programs, EMP's Founders Award features legendary performers who have made substantial contributions to the field of music.

2012 honoree Carlos Santana performing at EMP's Founders Award Celebration.

Photo courtesy of EMP staff.
2012 honoree Carlos Santana at EMP's Founders Award Celebration.

Photo courtesy of EMP staff.
For more than forty years and as many albums later, Santana has sold more than 90 million records and reached more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date, Santana has won ten Grammy® Awards, including a record-tying nine for a single project, 1999’s Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Smooth”). In 1998, the group was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, whose web page on their induction notes, “Guitarist Carlos Santana is one of rock’s true virtuosos and guiding lights.”

Photo courtesy of EMP staff.
Buddy Guy, 2011 Founders Award honoree, performing in EMP's Sky Church.

Photo courtesy of EMP staff.
2011 EMP Founders Award Celebration honoring Buddy Guy.

Photo courtesy of EMP staff.
2011 EMP Founders Award Celebration honoring Buddy Guy.

Photo courtesy of EMP staff.

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EMP Museum presented legendary guitarist Carlos Santana with its sixth annual Founders Award, an honor given to artists who have made outstanding contributions in popular music.

The 2012 award celebration raised more than $430,000 for EMP’s youth programs, offering accessible music education programming to more than 30,000 school children annually. Programs include “Artist-In-Resonance” in-school outreach, educator resource development, performance opportunities at EMP Museum, school field trips, summer camps, and scholarship programs.

Interested in learning more about the Founders Award? Contact CateN@EMPmuseum.org.