Max Frost. Mother Falcon. Shakey Graves. Gina Chavez. Over the past three years these celebrated Austin artists have been among those honored with financial grants from Black Fret, a nonprofit devoted to supporting and promoting local musicians. “They believe in artists enough to help fund their careers and creativity and their business, cause it is a business,” 2015 recipient (and our March cover star) Tameca Jones says of the organization. Founded in 2013 by Austin Music Foundation leaders Colin Kendrick and Matt Ott, Black Fret’s vision brings together music patrons to help provide some deeper pockets for deeply talented local performers. The slate of 2016 grant nominees will be announced in early March, with spots also allotted to the top two “Best New Artist” picks from the Austin Music Awards on March 16. For more information, visit blackfret.org

_{Read more from the Music + Film Issue | March 2016}