Shortlists announced for 2022 Making Music Awards

Annual awards showcase the talent and innovation of leisure-time music groups across the UK and the people who work with them

Making Music, the UK’s membership organisation for leisure-time music, is delighted to announce the shortlists for the 2022 Making Music Awards.

The annual awards celebrate the creativity of Making Music’s 3,900 member groups and the often unrecognised individuals who help the UK leisure-time music sector to flourish. Prizes range from promotion across Making Music’s networks to financial support towards commissions and other musical projects.

The shortlists and winners are decided by panels of experts drawn from across the music sector. One exception is the group hero award – introduced last year to recognise individuals, groups or committees who have gone the extra mile for their music group – which will be decided by online public vote. Voting closes at 5pm on Tuesday 20 September.

All winners will be announced by Debbie Wiseman OBE, Making Music President, at a special online awards ceremony at 7pm on Thursday 22 September. Anyone who would like to attend is welcome to reserve a free ticket.

Barbara Eifler, Chief Executive of Making Music, said:

“These awards have drawn an enthusiastic response from members, seizing on the opportunity to lavish much-deserved praise on the professionals or volunteers who help their group flourish. At Making Music, we are delighted with the quality of the submissions and look forward to announcing the winners next week.”

The shortlists for the 2022 Making Music Awards are as follows:

Best music creator for leisure-time music group 

• Finn Anderson – Distant Dream, for The Sunday Boys 
• Joanna Forbes L’Estrange and Alexander L’Estrange – Sing, Sing, Sing!, for Scunthorpe and District Choral Society 
• Nathan James Dearden – i breathe, for National Youth Choirs of Great Britain 

Highly commended: Paul Ayres – Reasons for Singing, for Concordia Voices; John C Hayes – Wensleydale March, for Lymm Concert Band. 
  
Best arranger for leisure-time music group 

• George Morton – five pieces including The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Scheherazade, William Tell Overture, for Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra 
• Michael Betteridge – Urge for Going, for The Sunday Boys 
• Peter Davis – two extracts from William Hamilton Bird’s Oriental Miscellany, for Street Orchestra Live 

 Panel for best music creator and best arranger: Debbie Wiseman OBE (Making Music President); Dorothy Wilson MBE (Making Music Chair); Russell Keable (Music Director, Kensington Symphony Orchestra); Sally Groves MBE (former Creative Director of Schott Music). 
  
Best project with a focus on new music 

• Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra 
• Haddo Arts 
• The Sunday Boys 

Panel for best project with a focus on new music: Dorothy Wilson MBE (Making Music Chair); Clare Edwards (Director of Learning & Events, Young Voices); Emma Campbell (Music Officer, Creative Scotland); Graeme Wilson (Music Director, Kirkcaldy Orchestral Society). 
  
Best music director

• Chris Parsons, Bury St Edmunds Friendly Orchestra 
• Stephen Marshall, Crickhowell Choral Society  
• Thomas Leech, Bradford Festival Choral Society 

Highly commended: Melanie Le Breuilly, Reading Youth Orchestra 

Panel for best music director: Martyn Brabbins (Music Director, English National Opera); Dorothy Wilson MBE (Making Music Chair); Derek Harrison (Music Director, Knebworth Community Chorus). 
  
Group hero 

• Ben Baughan, The Sunday Boys 
• Bradford Festival Choral Society team, Bradford Festival Choral Society  
• Musicians in Exile, The Glasgow Barons 
• Nigel Britten and Sally Moran, Beckenham Chorale 

The group hero award will be decided by public vote. Read more and vote online for one of the shortlisted nominees by 5pm, 20 September.  

Every year, Making Music presents numerous awards, bursaries and prizes to individual musicians, music groups and organisations in both the leisure-time and professional music sectors. Find out more

---ENDS---

Making Music, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL
020 7939 6030
info@makingmusic.org.uk
www.makingmusic.org.uk

Twitter: @MakingMusic_UK
Instagram: @makingmusicuk
Facebook: facebook.com/makingmusicuk
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Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 308632
Registered Charity in England and Wales no. 249219 and in Scotland no. SC038849

Notes to editors

Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups since 1935 across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We represent over 3,900 groups made up of around 220,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their groups so they can get on with making music! makingmusic.org.uk