Grammy Foundation - January 4, 2010 -- $5,000 (first place) and $1,500 (four runners-up)

The Grammy Foundation has an annual contest; its deadline is January 4. An almost instantaneous response with full competition rules will appear in your email if you send a request to eli@grammy.com

From my response:

Awards will be distributed as follows: $5,000 for first place and $1,500 for each of four runners-¬up. All five finalists receive one GRAMMY Awards ticket, hotel accommodations, round trip airfare, one ticket to the Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon, one ticket to MusiCares® Person of the Year dinner, and an invitation to the GRAMMY Nominee Reception.

From the Grammy announcment:

GRAMMY Foundation Announces 12th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Essay Competition

November 23, 2009

The GRAMMY Foundation has launched its 12th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Essay Competition, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, a program that will award more than $10,000 in scholarships to promising entertainment law students.

The ELI Essay Competition invites law students to write a 3,000-word paper on a compelling legal topic facing the music industry today. The contest culminates with the winning student authors presenting their essays at the prestigious ELI luncheon during GRAMMY Week on Jan. 29, 2010. Additionally, each winner will receive airfare, hotel accommodations, and a ticket to the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute gala honoring Neil Young on Jan. 29, the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, as well as invitations to other GRAMMY Week activities.

Submissions must be postmarked by Jan. 4, and winners will be announced on Jan.22. For complete contest rules and more information, send an e-mail to eli@grammy.com

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Image: Night Revels; wikipedia: "In the center are three female musicians playing guan, two female musicians playing transverse bamboo flutes (likely hengdi, 横笛), and a male musician playing a wooden clapper called paiban (拍板)."