The Ukulele Kids Club (UKC) Honored as a Finalist in Content & Media for Humanitarian Action & Services for The 6th Annual Anthem Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marlen R Wolfe
Email: team@theukc.org
New York, NY — October 13, 2026 – The Ukulele Kids Club announced today that it has been named a Finalist in Content & Media for Humanitarian Action & Services in The 6th Annual Anthem Awards for the video “The 10,000th Ukulele Donation” highlighting their work in bringing music to hospitalized children around the world.
Anthem Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Judges for the 6th Annual Anthem Awards include an esteemed panel of leaders from leading organizations and companies dedicated to social impact, including Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association, Heather Malenshek, CMO, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Award-Winning Actor & LGBTQ+ Advocate, Patrice Duckworth, Chief Inclusion Officer, Johnson & Johnson, Fatima Graves, President & CEO, National Women’s Law Center, Justina Nixon-Saintil, Vice President & Global Chief Impact Officer, IBM, and many others.
“We’re thrilled to see the impact sector bounce back, share their stories, and expand their impact after a challenging year last year,” said Anthem Awards General Manager, Patricia McLoughlin. “This year’s Finalists are truly setting the standard for how to advocate for a cause, inspire action, create impact, and overall make this world a better place.”
The Ukulele Kids Club (UKC) improves the wellbeing of medically fragile children through music therapy. UKC plays a vital role in benefiting children around the world by harnessing the healing power of music to improve the lives of medically fragile children and their families. Through our music therapy programs, we have a significant impact on both the physical and emotional well-being of children and youth in hospitals and hospices. We give the gift of music for life by giving children a ukulele to use during their hospital stay and to keep when they go home.
“We are so honored to share this nomination with other world-class organizations that we respect so much” said Marlen Rodriguez-Wolfe, Executive Director of Ukulele Kids Club. “Being recognized for our decade-long commitment to sharing the healing power of music with children going through hard times world-wide is deeply meaningful to us all. Through this nomination we hope others will be curious to learn about how music can be a mechanism of change and health for us all.”
Alongside the Finalist Announcement comes the launch of Anthem Community Voice in Partnership with NationBuilder, an annual voting campaign and celebration to uplift the work of Anthem Finalists. Supporters can celebrate Ukulele Kids Club’s work online from October 13th to October 29th at celebrate.anthemawards.com. All Finalists are also in the running to win a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Anthem Award selected by Anthem judges. All Winners for the 6th Annual Anthem Awards will be announced on November 5, 2026.
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Support your favorite teams and cast your vote for this year’s Anthem Community Voice Winners! Celebrate now and vote through Thursday, October 29!
About The Ukulele Kids Club:
Ukulele Kids Club, Inc. (UKC) is an international charity, founded in Florida, that has helped thousands of children around the world to overcome the stress, anxiety, and health challenges of serious physical and mental health conditions. We believe every medically fragile child should have access to music to cope and heal. By receiving a free ukulele and continued support at home, kids can access music and wellness for life.
In 2013, Corey Bergman, a life-long musician, began volunteering at local hospitals in Miami, Florida as a way of coping with the tragic loss of his son, Jared. As he played guitar for young patients and their families, he says, “I could plainly see that the act of listening to and playing music, and holding an instrument, has a deep positive effect on a child. All the anxiety and fear of the hospital just fades away and this kid becomes a kid again.” Corey then connected with music therapists at Miami Children’s Hospital, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, and others, and gained exposure to the field of music therapy where certified professionals help patients use music to achieve clinical goals. The simplicity and small size of the ukulele made it seem like the ideal vehicle for music therapy with even the smallest patients. In 2013, Corey and his wife Edda incorporated the UKC.
As of 2026, the UKC has donated more than 17,000 ukuleles to children in hospitals around the world, including Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Norway, Scotland, Poland, Ukraine and all over the United States including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Additionally, UKC At Home helps UKC kids continue their progress utilizing music for wellness with their new ukulele at home or independently. The program includes free access to the Resource Portal, UKC Academy classes, On-Demand Ukulele Lessons with Uketropolis, and music therapy sessions with Berklee College of Music’s Music and Health Institute.
About The Anthem Awards:
Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards recognizes impactful brands, nonprofits, and individuals that are setting the standard for good worldwide. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Belonging & Inclusion; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Sustainability, Environment & Climate; and Technology. This season’s partners and sponsors include NationBuilder, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, The Bloom, the Social Innovation Summit and The Nonprofit Alliance. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video & Film; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps, Software & Immersive; Social; Podcasts; Games; Creators and AI. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Adobe, WP Engine, Patreon, ElevenLabs, Framer, Meta, NAACP, KPMG, The Wall Street Journal, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, SXSW, The Podcast Show, and Authentic.