The leisure-time music sector is dependent on talent that often goes unrecognised, so Making Music's awards aim to change that by celebrating music creators, arrangers and innovative new projects.
Members of Making Music can nominate music creators and arrangers that they have worked with, submit details of an innovative project which their group has created during the course of 2024 or submit details showing outstanding commitment to diverse programming (either long-term or recent). As part of the evidence you provide, we welcome recordings of both in-person and virtual performances.
Prizes include framed award certificates and promotion across Making Music's sector-wide networks.
Submissions that have been created as part of Adopt a Composer/Adopt a Music Creator are not eligible to be nominated. However, if your group took part in Adopt a Composer/Adopt a Music Creator but have worked on a separate commission or project with your adopted composer/music creator, then we would love to hear from you.
Nominations open until 6 June 2025!
Awards: Best music creator | Best arranger | Best project (new music) | Making Music award for diverse programming
Best music creator for leisure-time music group
To nominate a music creator, you need to submit:
- a recording of a piece of music by the music creator, which your group performed in 2024 (the recording doesn't have to be professional, as long as it's of a good enough quality to hear the piece, and we will accept virtual video or phone recordings)
- a score of the piece you performed if possible
- 250 words telling us what was good about this music creator in terms of:
- the musical excellence of the piece they wrote
- how appropriate the piece was for your group’s technical ability
- how effectively the music creator engaged with the group and with the MD, and whether they took feedback and acted on it where necessary.
Best arranger for leisure-time music group
This award is to celebrate arrangers who have had a significant impact on your group.
The nomination could be for a person you have performed multiple arrangements by, or a specific commissioned arrangement in or before 2024 (not necessarily specifically for your group), but to nominate them at least one of their arrangements must have been programmed by you in 2024.
To nominate an arranger, you need to submit:
- 250 words telling us how the work of the arranger has impacted your group in terms of:
Tell us about as many examples of the arranger’s work as you like – but at least one of which needs to have been performed by your group in 2024. Please include one or several recordings of your group performing this arranger’s work, and scores, too.
Best new project
In this category 'new' is defined by a one-off project that is outside of your groups normal activity and that you have not tried before. The project needs to have completed in 2024.
Examples may include, but are not limited to:
- Holding a composition competition to premiere a new student written work
- Commissioning multiple living composers as part of a series of focus on contemporary work
- Running workshops with a local youth ensemble to develop continuation of music participation
- Community outreach project providing new opportunities for those with no previous experience to participate in musical activity
- an outline of the project in 500 words including details of the project; additional testimonials of participants and audiences (if there was a performance online or in person), where appropriate, and any relevant information or materials (e.g. marketing materials, score if there is one, photos of the project, programme if there is one)
- any appropriate supplementary materials to evidence your project
Making Music award for diverse programming
This award is intended for a group that has shown an outstanding commitment to programming a diverse range of music.
The theme for the 2025 award is ‘non-male composers’.
You will need to submit:
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Samples of your group’s programmes
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350 words outlining the group’s approach to diverse programming
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The entries for this award do not need to be limited to a certain time frame and entries both demonstrating a long term or recent commitment to diverse programming are encouraged!
Nominations open until 6 June 2025!
Read more about our previous winners: 2020 awards, 2021 awards, 2022 awards, 2023 awards, 2024 awards.
