IEBA Announces $125,000 in New Endowed Scholarships Supporting Future Industry Leaders 💥
During the 2025 IEBA Honors & Awards Show at the Grand Hyatt Nashville, IEBA proudly announced three new endowed scholarships totaling $125,000 to support students pursuing careers in live entertainment.
🎓 $25,000 was gifted to Middle Tennessee State University to establish the Jimmy Jay & Joann Blauw Family Scholarship, presented by Jimmy Jay and Aaron Green of Jayson Entertainment Group, alongside representatives from IEBA and MTSU.
🎶 Two $50,000 endowments were presented to Belmont University, honoring legendary executives Buddy Lee and Erv Woolsey, made possible through Joey Lee (WME Nashville), Tony Conway (Conway Entertainment Group), and Kevin Neal (WME Nashville).
In a moving moment, Kevin Neal surprised the audience by announcing an additional $20,000 donation to his existing MTSU scholarship — and his retirement from the music industry.
“These gifts celebrate the legacy of leaders who built our business and ensure their impact continues through future generations,” said Brian Wagner, IEBA Executive Director.
📘 Learn more about IEBA’s educational initiatives at www.ieba.org.
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