BIMM Institute Dublin have launched a brand new scholarship in partnership with their former students Fontaines D.C., who will be actively involved in selecting the recipient.

Home to Ireland’s most talented developing new artists, BIMM Dublin's BA (Hons) in Commercial Modern Music will be the country's first third-level degree course in contemporary music.

Students on the four-year course will receive expert guidance in their chosen field of Songwriting, Drums, Vocals or Guitar from highly skilled BIMM lecturers, all of whom have vast knowledge in the music industry and continue to be a part of it today. The course also provides upcoming musicians with performance opportunities, masterclasses, individual tutorials and unrivalled networking and collaborative possibilities.

The course is a practical and vocational, full time degree course validated by Technological University Dublin (TUD). BIMM graduates and current Hot Press cover stars Fontaines D.C. will partner with the college with this new scholarship aiding burgeoning musicians who are preparing to launch their creative careers.

The deserving recipient of the scholarship will have their BA (Hons) Commercial Modern Music course fees paid in full for the four-year duration of the degree course, worth €12,000.

Since finishing their time at BIMM Institute Dublin in 2017, Fontaines D.C. have released two critically acclaimed albums, both charting Top 5 in the Irish album charts. Their 2019 debut release, Dogrel, received a Mercury Music Prize nomination while the follow up A Hero’s Death, released in 2020, picked up a Grammy award nomination for Best Rock Album.

Their highly anticipated third record Skinty Fia, due for release on 22nd April on Partisan Records, will be followed up with two summer shows at the Iveagh Gardens and an Irish tour later this year.

Speaking about the announcement of the new scholarship, Fontaines D.C. member Conor Deegan commented: "We're honoured to have a scholarship in our name. Our time in BIMM gave us time to figure out who we wanted to be as a band. We were given guidance on how to achieve our dreams. We're looking forward to being able to help someone else succeed at their time there with this scholarship."

BIMM Institute Dublin College Principal, Alan Cullivan expressed his delight at the new offering.

“Everyone at BIMM Dublin is thrilled to be launching this scholarship with Fontaines D.C., having watched their career grow with great excitement both before and since they completed their studies," he stated. "At BIMM, we are driven by a commitment to helping Ireland’s next generation of music talent achieve their creative goals and realise their ambitions as artists… to be able to offer that in collaboration with our former students is a bonus.”

Applicants interested in applying for this scholarship must first apply to the BA (Hons) in Commercial Modern Music via the CAO at cao.ie, using the course code TU 961. CAO Late Applications are open for those who haven’t yet made a CAO application for this year until 1st May 2022. The deadline for scholarship applications will be 1st July 2022.

BIMM Dublin, situated in the heart of the Liberties, has become a hub of artistry and creativity, providing a springboard into the world of contemporary music through an education experience that explores technique, music culture, craft, technology, and business, thoroughly and creatively.

Alongside Fontaines D.C., other successful BIMM graduates include The Murder Capital, Erica Cody, Jafaris, Craig Fitzgerald of The Academic, Maria Kelly, Maria Somerville and Æ MAK, while many other graduates have become entrepreneurs setting up businesses in the creative arts, are successful session musicians, working as concert promoters, record labels and music publishers.

Some graduates have gone on to pursue postgraduate study in areas such as Music Therapy, Composition, and Popular Music Research at Masters level.

BIMM Dublin also offers a full-time undergraduate programme, BA (Hons) in Music Business, in additional to three separate part-time Foundation Diplomas in Music Business, Music & Audio Production and Professional Musicianship – for aspiring performers, producers and music industry professionals. In 2020, the country's first MA in Popular Music Practice was launched.

More information on Fontaines D.C. and upcoming live dates can be found here. Pick up a copy of their Hot Press cover story.

For more on the scholarship and other courses available at BIMM Dublin, see bimm.ie.