The American Theatre Wing has announced the recipients of the 2020 Jonathan Larson Grants, named for the late composer of the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent to honor emerging composers, lyricists, and book writers.

The recipients, all in the Music and Lyrics category, are The Bengsons (Hundred Days; The Lucky Ones; Sundown, Yellow Moon), Anna K. Jacobs (Pop!, Teeth, Anytown), Rona Siddiqui (Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan, One Good Day, The Tin), and Benjamin Velez (Starblasters, Borderline, Kiss My Aztec).

Each recipient will receive an unrestricted grant of $10,000 as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts, and recording grants. The grants will be presented March 23 by the Wing at a private event in New York City that will feature special performances of their work.

“Each year our panel of judges takes on the difficult task of choosing, from among hundreds of applicants, the artists who best embody Jonathan’s creative spirit and have the potential to take musical theatre to new heights,” said American Theatre Wing President and CEO Heather Hitchens. “Over the years, Larson Grant winners have gone on to garner 41 Tony nominations, six Tony Awards, 10 Obie Awards, six Grammys, and two Oscars, so we make this announcement with particular pride and excitement each year knowing the impact that Jonathan Larson and his legacy grant recipients will have on our industry.”


This year, all four recipients will also receive a $2,500 Saw Island Foundation Recording Grant.

Recipients were selected by a panel consisting of composer-lyricist-playwright César Alvarez (2016 Larson Grant recipient), playwright-composer-lyricist Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop; 2017 Larson Grant recipient), composer-lyricist Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder; two-time Larson recipient, 1999 and 2005), President and CEO of MANM Productions Terry Nardozzi, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation Brisa Trinchero, producer Lia Vollack (Almost Famous, MJ The Musical), and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and Producer/Investor Randi Zuckerberg (The Inheritance, Hadestown, Oklahoma!).