INGLEWOOD, CA (CelebrityAccess) – Multi-platinum-selling artist Justin Timberlake and 1500 Sound Academy co-founders James Fauntleroy and Larrance “Rance” Dopson have announced two special Nicole Hurst Scholarships.
The scholarships are named for Nicole Hurst, Timberlake’s longtime backup singer who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 39 in 2021. At the time of her death, Timberlake took to Instagram in loving tribute to the woman he consistently referred to as his “sister.”
“Nicole, it’s not enough to say that I am going to miss you dearly. Thank you for your light. I will do my best to carry that with me. I love you, my sister. Forever family and forever a TN kid.”
In her honor, two aspiring music students will have the opportunity to receive the scholarships – one to attend 1500 Sound Academy’s All Around Musician Program in Taipei, Taiwan and the other to attend 1500 Sound Academy’s Industry and Music Fundamentals Program on campus in Inglewood.
Applicants can apply for the Inglewood scholarship HERE and the Taiwan scholarship HERE. The application deadline is April 26, with the recipients to be announced on May 12.
Says Timberlake, “This is an incredible place, and I’m so excited to be here – it’s a pathway into the future. I’m super proud of the academy’s growth and can’t wait to hear the next generation of artists from these amazing schools.”