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This December will see a significant addition to the music industry calendar, with the presentation of the first-ever British Composer Awards. Presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, in association with BBC Radio 3, the awards will celebrate the work of classical composers living and working in the UK, says Julian Lancaster.

As the representative body for UK music writers of all genres, we have a long history of honouring the best of British composing and songwriting. Its annual Ivor Novello Awards are respected throughout the music world as an event in which writers are judged by their peers, a tradition that is to be maintained within the British Composer Awards. In planning the new awards, we hope to demonstrate the breadth of activity undertaken by today?s composers, by recognising achievements in a variety of different contexts.

The 11 categories that make up the awards are not just defined by instrumentation; there are also awards for liturgical music and multi-media, as well as for music written in the context of a community or educational project (the winner of which will receive funding from the Performing Right Society Foundation for a further project). In addition, Making Music, the organisation that nurtures the thriving sector of local music groups, has joined us in promoting a special award in recognition of music commissioned and for performance by amateur musicians.

To guide the selection process for this first year, we have invited nominations from across the music industry for works that have received their UK première between April 1 2002 and March 31 2003. Selected entries will be judged by specially appointed juries throughout September, with a final shortlist of three works in each category being announced the following month. The awards themselves will be handed over by Sir Andrew Davis, himself no stranger to new music, at a ceremony at the Barbican Centre in London on December 18.
BBC Radio 3, which has consistently championed composers and remains one of the UK?s principal commissioners of new music, will be supporting the event not only through related broadcasts but also by staging its own Listeners Award. We are also particularly grateful to the Performing Right Society for its generous sponsorship.

Julian Lancaster is Head of Classical Relations at the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. t: 020 7636 2929 e: julian@britishacademy.com
w: http://www.britishacademy.com/britishcomposerawards