With a catalogue amassing over four billion streams across the globe, Max Richter is one of the defining voices in contemporary classical music. Celebrated for his unique musical language blending classical tradition, minimalism, electronic music and sound design, Richter’s music has reimagined established repertoire whilst expanding the scope of contemporary composition.
Max Richter’s compositions transcend genres, reaching audiences via concert halls, recordings, on-stage and on-screen. On the concert stage, he has collaborated with leading soloists such as Anna Lapwood, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Gautier Capuçon. His recent film score for Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet (2025) received widespread critical acclaim, with previous screen soundtracks including Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and Ad Astra (2019). Richter’s wider creative partnerships span disciplines and generations, from landmark ballets with choreographer Wayne McGregor to scoring Dior runway shows for Kim Jones.
Richter will receive the Innovation Award in person at The Ivors Composer Awards sponsored by PRS for Music and in association with BBC Radio 3 at Grosvenor House on Park Lane, London.
Celebrating outstanding new compositions by British, Irish and UK resident composers, the Ivors Composer Awards champion composers and contemporary composition across all genres and disciplines, celebrating music that demonstrates exceptional craft, originality and impact with audiences. Each winner receives a prestigious Ivor Novello Award - one of the most respected honours in music creation and a globally recognised benchmark for creative excellence.
The Innovation Award is one of the special Gift of the Academy Awards which are presented each year, with previous recipients including Anoushka Shankar, Gavin Bryars, Matthew Herbert and Talvin Singh.
The news comes just days before the release of Richter’s new album, While The Flood Rages. The recording features music from Richter’s latest collaboration with Wayne McGregor, ‘MaddAddam’, inspired by Margaret Atwood’s eponymous trilogy. A project years in the making, the album explores themes of ecological crisis, technological acceleration and human connection. While The Flood Rages will be released on Decca Records on 16 October.
Lord Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said: “Max Richter has expanded what contemporary composition can be and who it can reach. His music combines extraordinary craft with a constant desire to innovate, connecting with audiences across concert halls, recordings, stage and screen. We’re proud to recognise Max with an Ivor Novello Award for Innovation.”
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said: “Max is a composer of unmistakable originality and influence. He has created a musical language that is entirely his own, while continually exploring new forms, sounds and ideas. From collaborations with Future Sound of London and Roni Size to ballet, opera, film and television, and landmark works including Sleep, The Blue Notebooks and the score for Hamnet, his work has undoubtedly changed contemporary composition.”
The Ivors Composer Awards are in London on 17 November and are hosted by radio presenter Petroc Trelawny, with BBC Radio 3 as broadcast partner. The ceremony will form part of The Ivors Composer Week (16 – 20 November), an inaugural series of events to broaden the celebration and empowerment of composers further. This includes a new annual event, The Ivors Academy Composer Summit (18 November) held at the Royal Institution, London.
