The Ivors Academy has opened entries for The Ivors Composer Awards 2022, which recognise creative excellence in composition for contemporary classical, jazz, and sound arts. Each winner receives a coveted Ivor Novello Award, which are widely recognised as a pinnacle of achievement since they were first presented in 1956. An Ivor Novello Award is unique as it represents peer recognition with categories judged by award-winning composers, jazz musicians and sound artists from across the Academy’s membership.
Celebrating their twentieth anniversary, The Ivors Composer Awards are supported by PRS for Music and the awards presentation is in association with BBC Radio 3, who provide exclusive broadcast coverage of the event. The Ivors Composer Awards will take place on Tuesday 15th November at the British Museum, London.
Over the past twenty years the awards have recognised the achievements of the UK’s most talented contemporary composers including Harrison Birtwistle, Tansy Davies, George Benjamin, John Tavener, Yazz Ahmed, Cassie Kinoshi, Jonny Greenwood, Sally Beamish, Anna Meredith, Errollyn Wallen, Roderick Williams and Jason Yarde.
Last year’s winners included Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s atmospheric orchestral work ‘CATAMORPHOSIS’, Nikki Iles’s ‘The Caged Bird’ for jazz big band and Thomas Adès’ ‘Gyökér’ for mezzo-soprano and four percussionists. Jazz composer and pianist Zoe Rahman received the Impact Award, pioneer Cleveland Watkiss MBE the Innovation Award, Alexander Goehr’s achievements across seven decades were recognised with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Works Collection, and technologist and composer Sarah Angliss was honoured with the Visionary Award.
Graham Davies, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said, “For twenty years the Ivors Composer Awards has celebrated the UK leading the world in classical, jazz and sound art composition. As entries open, we are excited to see the innovation and artistic excellent in composition over the past year.”
Anyone can enter a work, including the composer. There is a £20 administration fee per entry, which is waived if the work’s composer is a member of The Ivors Academy. To be eligible composers must be UK born or be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom.
Each year the awards celebrate new music that was heard for the first time by the UK public. To be eligible for The Ivors Composer Awards 2022 works must have received their first UK performance between 1st April 2021 and 31st March 2022. The definition of UK performance 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.
Entries must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 8th July.
Enter and find the full rules here.
KEY 2022 DATES
Monday 30th May, Entries open
Friday 8th July, Entries close
Tuesday 18th October, Nominations announced
Tuesday, 15th November, The Ivors Composer Awards, British Museum, London
