Presented by The Ivors Academy, The Ivors Classical Awards celebrate creative excellence in British and Irish composing.
These prestigious awards honour works premiered in the UK between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. Each winner receives an Ivor Novello Award, recognised globally as a pinnacle of achievement.
Winners join a roll call of some of the most talented composers including Sally Beamish, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Tansy Davies, Jonny Greenwood, Anna Meredith, Sir John Tavener, Sir John Rutter, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Errollyn Wallen, Roderick Williams and many more.
Key dates:
- Entries close: 5pm, 4 July 2025
- Awards ceremony: 11 November 2025, BFI Southbank, London
Categories for The Ivors Classical Awards 2025
- Best Small Chamber Composition
- Best Chamber Ensemble Composition
- Best Large Ensemble Composition
- Best Orchestral Composition in association with Dorico
- Best Choral Composition
- Best Community and Participation Composition in association with ABRSM
- Best Stage Work Composition
Eligibility
Composers entering work must be British, Irish or UK resident.
Compositions must have received their first UK public performance between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. This includes live concerts, live-streamed concerts, broadcasts and appearance on a commercial recording if the music was accessible to members of the public in the UK for the first time.
Discounted administration fees for members
Members can enter works with a discount on the administration fee of £40 + VAT per work, depending on their membership level.
- 75% discount for Professional members
- 50% discount for Core members
- 10% discount for Discovery members
To receive a discount, the entry must be submitted directly by the member, not by a third party.
Category Changes
The Best Sound Art category is being paused this year while the Academy takes more time to review it fully. We are looking at how we define and judge the category to make sure that it is relevant, fair and appropriately recognises the work being created in this space. We’re committed to supporting composers working in sound arts and this review is part of that commitment.
