Accentuating the Positive
For over two decades the Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) has partnered with individuals and organizations to celebrate and nourish the disciplines that Johnny Mercer mastered.
Stephen Schwartz to Receive 2025 Johnny Mercer Award
The Songwriters Hall of Fame's highest honor is set to go to the genius behind Defying Gravity!
A legacy that lives on
JMF continues Johnny’s work through its initiatives for Educators and Songwriters; and researchers can explore our in-depth collection in our Behind the Man collection.
Our Initiatives
JMF offers Educators virtual classes for grades 2 – 12 with resources and guides that meet national standards appropriate for Language Arts, Music and Theater. JMF provides Songwriters in-person residencies for the professional and soon-to-be professional.
Accentuate The Positive
Project Details In 2002, The Johnny Mercer Foundation launched a lyric-writing program to teach…
The Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals
Program Details In keeping with Johnny Mercer’s lifelong commitment to collaboration and nurturance…
Georgia State University Fellowship Program
Project Details The Johnny Mercer Foundation has partnered with Georgia State University’s School of…
The JMF Young Songwriters Intensive at Snow Pond Center for the Arts
Project Details The Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) Young Songwriters Intensive is a fully funded…
Kaufman Music Center
Project Details The Johnny Mercer Foundation has partnered with Kaufman Music Center to launch a…
The Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project at Belmont University
Discover the Next Generation of Songwriting Talent Established in 2024, the Johnny Mercer Foundation…
The man behind the music
For researchers, JMF offers access to the Mercer Collection containing databases, music, photos, and papers that document Johnny’s career.
Get involved with the foundation
With over twenty years of experience in developing successful educational programs, JMF has expanded its reach nationally and internationally by partnering with individuals and organizations.
The Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project will forever be a part of our journey and partnership. Our week in the program gave us the space and time to create and push ourselves under the guidance of caring, inquisitive teachers. With the inspiring musical world of Nashville as a backdrop, we explored new styles and collaborations with fellow songwriters from across the country. An unforgettable and transformative experience!
The Writers’ Grove at Goodspeed is a treasure. It is, without question, my favorite and most productive place to work. It offers the extraordinary intersection of quiet solitude for focused writing, a community of world-class theatre-makers with whom to discuss and improve the work, as well as a team and facilities to make it all run beautifully. It was at Goodspeed that I met director Sean Daniels; at Goodspeed, we worked together on my show THE LION, which has since won a Drama Desk Award and an Off-West-End Award for Best New Musical.
Help us carry out Johnny’s legacy
