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Next year's Grammy Awards will feature the hottest names in the music industry and, possibly, a charter school teacher from American Fork.
Caleb Chapman, music academy director at Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts, is among 25 semifinalists chosen to compete for the Grammy Music Educator Award, which recognizes excellence in music education.
"It's a huge honor," Chapman said. "It's exciting that The Recording Academy is recognizing the efforts of educators."
Chapman and his fellow semifinalists were selected from more than 7,000 nominees, according to the Grammy Foundation.
In December, 10 finalists will be chosen to receive a $1,000 personal gift and matching grant for their school. The final winner will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 2015 Grammy Awards ceremony and receive a $10,000 prize.
Chapman said he was not told who nominated him, but he believes his school administration and several students were involved.
He said he felt humbled when he learned he was a semifinalist and hasn't thought about how he would spend his prize money if selected to move forward in the competition.
"I think there are so many other really deserving educators out there," said Chapman, a saxophone player. "I have a hard time imagining that I would win this thing."
According to Grammy Foundation press materials, the Music Educator Award was established to recognize current teachers in the United States who have made a significant contribution to music education. The award is open to both public and private school teachers from elementary schools to colleges and universities.
"Music education has such an important impact on our cultural fabric," Grammy Foundation Honorary Chairman Ryan Seacrest said in a prepared statement. "It's a privilege to join the GRAMMY Foundation and Ford Motor Company to applaud the efforts of our nation's top 25 music teachers and work with their schools to help raise awareness about the importance of music in schools."