El Camino College Student Wins Grand Prize at Los Cancioneros Master Chorale Scholarship Competition
El Camino College’s music student Shaunte Nickels won a $1,500 scholarship for her amazing vocal talent.
El Camino College student Shaunté Nickels has earned the grand prize at the prestigious scholarship competition hosted by South Bay area Los Cancioneros Master Chorale on Saturday, May 3, 2026, recognizing her outstanding vocal talent and musical achievement.
The annual scholarship competition supports emerging musicians from the South Bay and greater Los Angeles area through competitive auditions and scholarship awards. Each year, Los Cancioneros offers music scholarships of $1,000 each to worthy music students. Scholarship winners are invited to showcase their talent by performing with Los Cancioneros Master Chorale at one of its concerts. Winners have gone on to make an impact at the Metropolitan Opera, American Idol, LAUSD, and more.
“I’m very honored to win this prestigious award and proud to have represented El Camino College in this capacity,” Nickels expressed. “It was an exciting experience, and I thank Professor Wood for her help in making this happen.”
Nickels, a first-year voice major in the El Camino College Music Department, won the top prize of $1,500 in this year’s competition for her rendition of “Easy as Life,” from Elton John’s musical, AIDA, and “Send in the Clowns,” from Stephen Sondheim’s A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Nickels studies under vocal instructor Erin Wood.
“Shaunté has the special blend of a warm, impressive contralto voice plus the ability to connect very deeply with the emotion of her characters, a true singing actor,” Wood expressed. “She is a role model for her colleagues in our Applied Voice program, and I am so proud of her on this scholarship win!”
Scholarship applicants must be a graduating high school senior or a college, or music school student specializing in either vocal or instrumental music, with a grade point average of 2.0 or better. Winners are selected through a competitive audition process and are invited to perform with the chorale at future concerts. The student must be from, reside in, or study in the Greater South Bay area of Los Angeles County. Nickels’ talent sets her apart from the crowd, according to El Camino College vocal instructor, Erin Wood who coached Nickels for the competition.
Founded in 1949, Los Cancioneros Master Chorale is a respected South Bay arts organization dedicated to choral performance and music education.
Since the 1980s, the organization has awarded scholarships to aspiring musicians pursuing higher education in music. LCMC has since been recognized by the Torrance Cultural Arts Commission, Palos Verdes Peninsula Coordinating Council's Community, and the U.S. Congress, California State Legislature, California State Senate and Los Angeles County, for passionate commitment to music performance, exemplary service to our local communities, and support of aspiring musicians.
El Camino College’s Music Department offers comprehensive programs in vocal and instrumental performance, music education, and music technology, helping students prepare for transfer opportunities and professional careers in the arts.
For more information about the Los Cancioneros Master Chorale scholarship program, visit Los Cancioneros Master Chorale Scholarships.