Please can we move away from all-male composer award-winners?
Friday is the deadline for the British Composer Awards. Last year, all the award-winners were male. Recently the Royal Philharmonic Society announced the five 2014 winners of their Composition Prize for under-29 years old composers, and they are all male too. I am not questioning the talent of those selected, nor the integrity and quality of the process. I just think that for some reason, we as an industry are institutionally weighted against female composers who are also, for some reason, not putting themselves forward as much as their male counterparts. Over the next few weeks I’m going to mull this over so expect another blog on the subject before too long…
But right now: I want to encourage female composers, and their friends and supporters, to get nominating for the British Composer Awards. In 2013, 24% of nominations were for female composers. In 2012: 21%. In 2013: 19%. If that trend continues equality may be achieved finally in 2019 … How about seeing if we can manage that in 2014?
Information about categories is here.
And Information about how to submit is here. Three copies of the score need to be submitted, together with duration, a reason for nomination, the work’s performance history including any programmes (and a recording if there is one), and a summary CV.
To qualify, works must have received their UK première in a public performance, either live or broadcast, between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014.
The deadline is this coming Friday, 18 July. So if you’re a female composer, or friends with one, please consider submitting a nomination.
Earlier this week, one of the BCA’s Artistic Directors Ed McKeon also issued a call for more diverse submissions, which can be found here.
Being a woman in classical music is not half as bad as being a heterosexual male composer, but I don’t see anyone campaigning for them! Politically incorrect I see…
omg why are you talking about? you’re not even a woman…
If it wasn’t your post, I wouldn’t have sent my piece. Thank you so much! Someone posted it in my timeline and it caught my attention because of the fact that composition in general is a predominantely male… and I’m trying to change that too. Thanks! 🙂