About

The AIR Diversity Scholarship for Tonmeisters was born out of a future vision of the sound and recording world shared by AIR and the University of Surrey, in recognition of the importance of providing opportunities within the industry for underrepresented ethnic groups.  It builds on the existing partnership between AIR and the university’s Department of Music and Media, which regularly sees students undertaking professional placement years and graduates taking up employment at the company.

Launched in 1970 and now in its’ 50th academic year, the Tonmeister course at Surrey is both prestigious and unique in the UK, blending rigorous musical study, advanced investigation of audio engineering and mastery of sound-recording operation and practice. The course boasts an impressive number of Grammy, Emmy, Oscar and Mercury Music award winners amongst its alumni.

The scholarship is worth £30,000 to each student over the course of their degree and is open to those from underrepresented ethnic groups, with a financially disadvantaged background, who may otherwise not have been able to take up a place to study at the University of Surrey. Applicants from a household income of £35k or less will be prioritised for the scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to students from the UK who are studying one of the following courses:

  • Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) BMus (J931)
  • Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) BSc (J931)

Applicants must be from one of the below ethnic groups:

Asian or Asian British

  • Indian
  • Pakistani
  • Bangladeshi
  • Chinese
  • Any other Asian background

Black, African, Caribbean or Black British

  • African
  • Caribbean
  • Any other Black, African or Caribbean background

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

  • White and Black Caribbean
  • White and Black African
  • White and Asian
  • Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background

Other ethnic group

  • Arab
  • Any other ethnic group

White

  • Roma or Irish Traveller

Students who can demonstrate a household income of less than £35K will be prioritised.

Apply

Applications details for 2025 will be published later in the year.

Contact

For further information please contact the Bursaries and Scholarships team.

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