2024 RPS Awards

The 2024 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards were presented on 5 March for the first time ever out of London, at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music. At a time of great challenge and funding cuts to classical music, the occasion presented a vital and uplifting picture of classical music’s resonance, impact and reach. It opens with ‘the sound of Manchester’ – a unique gathering of percussionists from each of the city’s renowned classical ensembles, then there’s much emotion and excitement as the 13 awards are revealed, with more live music from winners Jasdeep Singh Degun and Nicky Spence. Please note, there are occasional flashing lights in the highlights footage representing several nominations, brief profanity in the second performance, and brief nudity in the Opera and Music Theatre Award footage. Click here to read all the news from the event.

2023 RPS Awards

The 2023 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards were presented on 1 March at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. An urgent message about the reach and resonance of classical music – and everything that professional and amateur music-makers devote to society – was made at this RPS Awards, which drew their largest-ever live audience of over 800 people.

Star cellist and 2020 RPS Young Artist Award winner Sheku Kanneh-Mason opened the show, giving the world premiere performance of Cello Sonata No.2 by the celebrated Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, and RPS Chairman John Gilhooly gave a keynote speech which made broadsheet news. You can watch a film of the complete event – featuring all the memorable speeches and performances – below. Click here to read all about the occasion and the winners in our news story.

2021 RPS Awards

The 2021 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards were presented on 1 November at Wigmore Hall, recognising so much musical talent and achievement nationwide through the pandemic.

With winners including star names such as violinist Nicola Benedetti and conductor Ryan Bancroft, it was a night to remember that also proved something of a reunion for so many music-makers and music-lovers after being apart for so long. You can read about all the 2021 winners in our news story here and watch the complete film of the event below: we warmly recommend taking the time to catch its sensational performances and some truly stirring, heartfelt speeches.

2020 RPS Awards

The 2020 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards were presented digitally on Wednesday 18 November in a streamed broadcast specially filmed at Wigmore Hall. In a year where so much music was forces to be silent, this film presents a rousing picture of all the good that classical music does.

Presented by BBC Radio 3's Georgia Mann and RPS Chairman John Gilhooly OBE, hightlights include cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason receiving the Young Artists Award, conductor Jane Glover winning Gamechanger Award and internationally-treasured composer John Williams being announced as the recipient of the RPS Gold Medal, one of the highest honours in music, recognising outstanding musicianship since 1870. His long-time collaborator, director Steven Spielberg sent his congratulations in a video recorded especially for the RPS. You can read about all the 2020 winners in our news story here and watch the film of the event below.