Closely following government guidelines, we are delighted to welcome back a live audience for this year’s awards to celebrate the treasured role – highlighted more than ever in this most challenging of years – that classical music plays in our lives.

This year, in addition to the usual categories whose winners are chosen by expert independent panels, for the very first time the winner of the Inspiration Award will be decided by the public. The Inspiration Award was newly introduced last year for those who brightly inspired the nation in the first months of lockdown, commending professional and non-professional musicians alike. This year – and from now on – the RPS will present the award outright to a non-professional ensemble or to an individual who works with such groups, in recognition of the remarkable constellation of such music-makers, often overlooked. A shortlist of six has been assembled by a panel who themselves work year-round with non-professional groups and, from these, the public is invited to vote for whom they feel should receive this year’s award.

The six shortlisted nominees are:

• Aberdeen Saxophone Orchestra and Phoenix Saxophone Orchestra
• Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra, Berkshire
• Hilary Campbell and Bristol Choral Society
• Orkney Winter Choir and Orkney Camerata
• South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus
• Themba Mvula and Lichfield Gospel Choir

The closing date for votes is 11am on Thursday 30 September. To find out more about the shortlistees and to cast a vote, click here.

The winners of all thirteen categories will be announced at the 2021 RPS Awards at Wigmore Hall, London, at 7.30pm on Monday 1 November. The event will be presented in a new and refreshed format that will enable more music-lovers and music-makers to join in the festivities. You can read more about what this entails here. Tickets this year are at a vastly reduced price ranging from £16 – 30.

Our Chief Executive James Murphy says: ‘Some people have asked us if there’s been sufficient music to celebrate with the RPS Awards this year. Brace yourselves for a story of tremendous resilience, creativity and musicians finding ways against all the odds to inspire others. We’re so pleased to applaud the countless non-professional musicians across the country through the new Inspiration Award, and welcome the music-loving public to join in the festivities as never before, casting their vote for the Inspiration Award and joining us for the Awards celebration, for which tickets have never been cheaper.’

Tickets are priced at £16, £24 and £30 and all include a complimentary post-show drink and souvenir brochure. Owing to expected demand, bookers may book a maximum of 4 tickets each.

Priority booking for RPS Members and Wigmore Hall Friends opens from 10am on Wednesday 8 September in person at Wigmore Hall or by phoning the box office on 020 4566 9526. We have contacted all RPS Members by email with a dedicated code you must quote in order to make use of priority booking.

General booking opens on Friday 10 September in person at Wigmore Hall, by phoning the box office on 020 4566 9526 and online on Wigmore Hall's website. A second wave of tickets will be released on Friday 1 October, once our shortlistee and sponsor allocations have been confirmed. 

Shortlisted nominees in the other categories will be announced in late September on BBC Radio 3, longstanding RPS Awards Partner. The RPS Awards will also be filmed and streamed on the RPS website at a later date, with further coverage on BBC Radio 3.