The winners of the 2008 British Composer Awards were announced yesterday, Tuesday 2 December 2008, in a ceremony hosted by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters at the Law Society. A special programme devoted to the Awards is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 In Tune on Wednesday 3 December at 7.00pm. Now in its sixth year, the Awards are sponsored annually by the Performing Right Society (PRS), and are run in association with BBC Radio 3. This year the key-note comments at the Awards were given by well-known composer/producer Nitin Sawhney who also presented the winners with their awards.

An impressive 268 submissions were received for works premiered between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008. The winners list features some of the UK’s most established and recognised contemporary composers alongside emerging new talent.

Scotsman, James MacMillan, nominated in three categories saw off stiff competition from Judith Bingham and Howard Skempton in the Liturgical category for his 4 Motets from “The Strathclyde Motets”. Despite this Judith Bingham went on to receive what will be her 4th British Composer Award for Fantasia (from The Lost Works of Paganini) in the Instrumental Solo or Duo category, and is the only female to be honoured this year. Howard Skempton picked up the Vocal Award for ‘ The Moon is Flashing’. Younger composers Luke Bedford and Joe Cutler were honoured with an award in the Orchestral and Chamber categories respectively. New Yorker Elliott Carter sees in his 100th year with an award in the International category for ‘Three Illusions for Orchestra ’.

Sarah Rodgers, Concert Chair of the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters, comments: “Once again, the British Composer Awards have reviewed a great swathe of new contemporary music and highlighted what the judges have identified as the most exciting and ear-catching work on offer. It is a dynamic time for British composition and we are immensely proud to be supporting composers in this way."

One of the Awards’ objectives is to encourage the commissioning and performance of contemporary music in the amateur sector, and each year it receives nominations from members of Making Music, or any other amateur group, for the Making Music Award. The award in this category went to John Holland for Green Sky.

Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms,
says:

“We are delighted to be associated with the British Composer Awards for the sixth year running. The Academy has made real strides in highlighting the richness and diversity of composition in this country, a scene which BBC Radio 3 uniquely supports with broadcasts and performances, and as the world’s most significant commissioner of new music. It is exciting to see the range and quality of the work of British composers celebrated by these Awards. In particular the work of young composers gives real hope for the continuing strength of the classical new music scene in the UK.”

Ellis Rich, Chairman of PRS (Performing Right Society), sponsor of the Awards, comments: 'PRS would like to congratulate our members who have won a British Composer Award. We have proudly sponsored this event for six years, from its inception, and every year we have watched it grow in stature and in importance. There is no better way of celebrating the richness of contemporary classical music and of rewarding our members who write it.'

The awards ceremony featured two Sonic Art installations; the artists, Eugene Perera and Mick Grierson presented their interactive work as part of a collaboration for the awards between the Academy and Sonic Arts Network. The actual Award for Sonic Art went to Janek Schaefer for his interactive creation, ‘Extended Play.’


The winners were as follows:-


Chamber

WINNER: Joe Cutler - Folk Music

Jonathan Harvey – Sprechgesang

Dave Price - Lee’s Game


Choral

James MacMillan - Tenebrae Responsories

Colin Matthews - Alphabicycle Order

WINNER: Michael Zev Gordon - This Night


Community or Educational Project

No Award


Instrumental Solo or Duo *

WINNER: Judith Bingham - Fantasia (from The Lost Works of Paganini)

Patrick Nunn - Transilient Fragments

Jonathan Pitkin - Con Spirito International Award

WINNER: Elliott Carter - Three Illusions for Orchestra

Hans Werner Henze - Sebastian im Traum Kaija Saariaho - Mirage Liturgical

Judith Bingham - Missa Brevis “Awake My Soul” with accompanying anthem “The Shepherd”

WINNER: James MacMillan - 4 Motets from “The Strathclyde Motets”

Howard Skempton - Three Motets


Making Music Award

Alexander Campkin - Counting My Numberless Fingers

WINNER: John Holland - Green Sky

Cecilia McDowall - A Canterbury Mass


Orchestral

WINNER: Luke Bedford - Wreathe

Rolf Hind - Maya-Sesha

Mark-Anthony Turnage - Ceres


Sonic Art **

Ed Hughes - Auditorium

Terry Mann – The Bells of Paradise

WINNER: Janek Schaefer – Extended Play


Stage Works

WINNER: Jonathan Dove - The Adventures of Pinocchio

James MacMillan - The Sacrifice

Edward Rushton - The Shops Vocal

Joe Cutler - Akhmatova Fragments

Simon Holt - Sueños

WINNER: Howard Skempton - The Moon is Flashing Wind Band or Brass Band

WINNER: Adam Gorb - Adrenaline City

Gavin Higgins - A Forest Symphony

Joseph Phibbs - The Spiralling Night


* The winner of the Award for Instrumental Solo or Duo will
receive £1,000 from the Worshipful Company of Musicians towards a new commission

** The winner of the Award for Sonic Art will receive £5,000
from the PRS Foundation towards a new commission or towards a project which contributes to the furtherance of the composer’s career