The Ivors Academy, supported by PRS for Music, has nominated 34 classical composers and librettists for Ivor Novello Awards in 2025.
Celebrating the best of British and Irish contemporary classical music, The Ivors Classical Awards will take place at BFI Southbank in London on 11 November. There, nine Ivor Novello Awards will be presented to six category winners and three Gift of the Academy award recipients.
BBC Radio 3 presenters Kate Molleson and Tom McKinney will present the ceremony, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Saturday 15 November in a special edition of the New Music Show. The episode will also be available on BBC Sounds.
Ivors Classical Awards 2025 - Themes and Trends
Many of this year's nominated works celebrate different musical and cultural traditions. Three commemorate tragic historical events, while science and technology, and nature and the environment are also popular themes.
The 2025 shortlist features seven composers nominated for the first time - Ruby Colley, Nneka Cummins, Jon Guy, Luke Mombrea, Lucie Treacher, Anibal Vidal and Nathan Williamson - as well as composers who have previously been nominated or won awards, including Julian Anderson, Helen Grime, Gareth Moorcraft, Judith Weir, Robin Haigh and 2024 Academy Fellowship recipient James MacMillan.
This year, the Academy is also nominating librettists for original text – including Grahame Davies, April De Angelis, Helen Eastman, Zoe Gilbert, Paul Griffiths, Megg Nicol and Rachel Warr.
Ivors Classical Awards 2025 - Judging
Each year, six Ivors Classical Awards categories are judged anonymously by 30 composer judges from The Ivors Academy.
This year, all identifying information was removed from more than 220 entries, resulting in 29 nominated works in the shortlist.
The 2025 Ivors Classical Awards nominees are...
BEST CHAMBER ENSEMBLE COMPOSITION
arcing, stilling, bending, gathering composed by Lisa Illean
for piano, string ensemble of 12 players and pre-recorded sounds
Chanter composed by Cassandra Miller
for guitar and string orchestra
FILTH composed by Robin Haigh
for large ensemble
Invocación n.2: A Kintsugi Resurrection composed by Anibal Vidal
for trumpet and ensemble
Mantle composed by John Casken
for piano and wind quintet
BEST CHORAL COMPOSITION
Hear My Heart Sing composed by Bernard Hughes
for SATB choir with divisi with word by Helen Eastman
Hello Halo composed by Ruby Colley
for six voices, violin & fixed media
Nothing At All composed by Julian Anderson
a dramatic madrigal for eight unaccompanied voices with word by Paul Griffiths
Orbits composed by Anna Clyne
for chorus and solo violin
BEST COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPATION COMPOSITION in association with ABRSM
Gresford Up From Underground / Gresffordd I’r Goleuni ‘Nawr composed by Jon Guy
a Community Opera in one act with libretto by Grahame Davies
Rocks and Stars composed by Lucie Treacher for Children's Symphony Orchestra, Massed Choir, Acoustic Guitar Ensemble, Steel Band, Organ, Rock Band and Djembe Percussion group
The Quest composed by Nathan Williamson
soloists and chorus aged 8-18, and professional instrumental ensemble with libretto by Megg Nicol
Uprising composed by Jonathan Dove
a Community Opera with libretto by April De Angelis
Vent
composed by Benjamin Oliver
for choir & electronics with libretto by Rachel Warr
BEST LARGE ENSEMBLE COMPOSITION
Finding gills [when they try to drown you] composed by Nneka Cummins
for chamber orchestra and electronics
Heat Ray: The Archimedes Project composed by Will Gregory
for chamber orchestra and moog ensemble
LUCK composed by Robin Haigh
concerto for trumpet and orchestra
Planet composed by Judith Weir for chamber orchestra
Schiller’s Piano composed by Laurence Osborn
concerto for keyboards and string orchestra
BEST ORCHESTRAL COMPOSITION in association with Dorico
Concerto for Orchestra composed by James MacMillan
for orchestra
DISTANS composed by Sally Beamish
concerto for clarinet, violin and orchestra
Folk composed by Helen Grime
for soprano and orchestra with libretto by Zoe Gilbert
King Torques Hollow Acetate composed by Jasper Dommett
for orchestra
Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia composed by James MacMillan
for mixed chorus, children's chorus and orchestra
BEST SMALL CHAMBER COMPOSITION
Black Gold composed by Luke Mombrea
for chamber ensemble and electronics
Darkness Moves II composed by Mark Simpson
for horn and electronics
If I Could Tell You composed by Richard Causton
for piano trio
Three Tributes composed by Bushra El-Turk
for string quartet
Unrealities composed by Gareth Moorcraft for solo piano and synthesiser
About the Ivors Classical Awards
For over 20 years, the Ivors have recognised the achievements of some the UK’s most talented composers including Sally Beamish, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Tansy Davies, Jonny Greenwood, Anna Meredith, Sir John Tavener, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Roderick Williams and many more.