Going back to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Society has continually supported composers and brought new music to the stage. Over the years, we have worked with many other individuals and organisations dedicated to helping contemporary music flourish in Britain.

Biennially, we are pleased to present the Leslie Boosey Award in recognition of those who work tirelessly ‘backstage’ to champion new music. The Award is not for composers or performers, but for programmers, publishers, broadcasters, administrators, educationalists and figures from the recording industry.

Recent recipients have included Susanna Eastburn who revitalised and ran Sound and Music for a decade; Fiona Robertson who runs the sound festival in Aberdeenshire; Amelia Freedman CBE, founder and director of the Nash Ensemble; music publishers Sally Groves MBE and Sally Cavender, Jackie and Stephen Newbould for their work running the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, NMC Recordings and Colin Matthews OBE, not for his work as a composer but in founding NMC and his work on behalf of the Britten Estate and the Red House at Aldeburgh.

The Award is given in memory of Leslie Boosey (1887 – 1979), the music publisher who merged his family firm to establish Boosey & Hawkes, one of the world’s leading publishing companies. He was responsible for cultivating and promoting a range of eminent composers as well as striving to achieve better rights and royalties in perpetuity for composers internationally.

The recipient of the Leslie Boosey Award takes possession for two years of a resplendent bronze eagle commissioned from renowned sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink.

The RPS welcomes nominations for the Award from RPS Members and colleagues across the music profession. Those eligible to nominate can email us with details of your nominee, providing a short citation of up to 300 words outlining why you believe they are deserving of such an accolade.