These awards celebrate the individuals from all walks of life who volunteer for their music groups, giving up their time and energy to help the leisure-time music sector.
We celebrate their incredible contributions with either exceptional service to a Making Music member group, an outstanding effort to improve their environmental sustainability or the best photo taken of a leisure-time music group.
Nominations open until 6 June 2025!
Awards: President's Award | The Making Music Green Award | Best photo of a leisure-time music group
President's Award
Previously, The President's Award recognised the achievements of those who volunteered for Making Music. Starting with 2023, this award now recognises volunteers who have given exceptional service to any Making Music member group, replacing our Group Hero award. This could be for a short-term exceptional effort, or a longer term achievement, and it could recognise an individual or a group of volunteers (e.g. a committee). The winner(s) will be selected by public vote.
Recipients of the award
2021: Glynne Stackhouse & Stephen Leeder
2019: Elaine Fox
2018: Holly McEleny
2017: Peter Lawson
2016: Paul de Ridder
2015: Louisa Bell
2014: Linda Young
2013: Alex Murchie & Martin Jones
2012: Marian Davidson
2011: Dr Berkeley Ranby
2010: Donald Sheppard
2009: Harry Whitham
The Making Music Green Award
This award champions and celebrates the work music groups do to improve their environmental sustainability.
Examples can include, but are not limited to:
- Implementing a lift sharing scheme among members to reduce the amount of car usage to and from rehearsals
- Using your activities to spread word of the urgency of the climate emergency e.g. programming a themed concert or commissioning new work about the subject
- Reducing single use waste by asking people to bring their own mugs for tea break
This award is open to both members and non-members of Making Music. Whether you have a full sustainability action plan in place or are just taking the first steps to minimising your group’s carbon footprint – we want to hear from you!
To nominate your group, your need to submit:
- 250 words outlining what your group has done to improve their environmental sustainability
- Any supplementary materials you would like to submit , e.g. photos, programmes, policy plans
Best photo of a leisure-time music group
The theme for the 2025 competition is an image of your group in an ‘interesting performance location’.
You will need to submit:
- One image in JPEG or PNG format
- 250 words providing more information about the particular performance and location
- The photo does not have to be professional and can be taken on a phone, but any taken by professional photographers are also eligible; however, the judging criteria will include (but not be exclusively about) the quality of the photo
- The entries for this award are not limited to a certain time frame
Nominations open until 6 June 2025!
Making Music also has a range of other awards that celebrate the leisure-time music sector for music groups, arrangers and creators, and other professionals they work with. Find out more
