Voting for the 2026 RPS Inspiration Award is now closed: voting was open between 11am on Friday 12 December 2025 and 11am on Monday 2 February 2026. We are very grateful to everyone who took the time to cast a vote this year, in record numbers, and we look forward to celebrating all the shortlistees and announcing the winner at the RPS Awards on Thursday 12 March. 

Annually, the RPS presents the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, recognising star musicians, ensembles, and ventures in classical music lifting hearts and minds across the nation. Among these, the RPS Inspiration Award is specially presented to non-professional ensembles, recognising local heroes who do so much year-round to bring people together through music. Singularly, its winner is chosen by public vote.

Voting is now open here on our website and closes at 11am on Monday 2 February 2026.

The winner will be announced live at the 2026 RPS Awards, which will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London at 7.00pm on Thursday 12 March. Described by The Sunday Times as ‘the biggest night in UK classical music’, the RPS Awards is a unique occasion for music-lovers and music-makers to get together, where everyone who cares about classical music is valued, and tickets start from only £10 (plus venue booking fee).

The four shortlisted nominees are as follows. Click each name to discover more about what makes them particularly special and what they have achieved in the last year.

Once you have had chance to consider the four nominees, we invite you to cast a vote for your favourite, using our online voting form specially for the RPS Inspiration Award. Please note individuals may only cast one vote each, and we can only accept votes from people living in the UK.

Bradford Accordion Band– an inclusive, dynamic community band in West Yorkshire directed by Anita Bašić, which performed during this year’s Bradford City of Culture programme.

Cantorion Llandrindod – a dedicated community choir based in rural mid-Wales with distinctive and adventurous programming, directed by Hilary Cox.

Kirkcaldy Orchestral Society – inspiring musicians of all stage and ages in Fife, Scotland, and taking composition projects into secondary schools and HM Prison Glenochil.

Sean Chandler and Shepherd Brass Band – six bands with over 200 players in Yorkshire, from grassroots to competitive playing. At its heart, principal cornet and Deaf musician Sean Chandler who leads ‘I Can Play with Brass Roots’ for d/Deaf children and their families. 

RPS Chief Executive James Murphy says ‘Wherever you live in the UK, local people get together to make music, drawing the community to join in, and come and listen. Here, in divisive times, we see the very best of our nation, finding strength, joy and optimism in what unites us. Thousands of groups like this flourish nationwide and deserve recognition. An expert panel has joined us in selecting four groups especially representative of this spirit, and we invite the public to get involved and pick a winner who particularly inspires them.’

The 2026 RPS Inspiration Award is generously supported by music publisher Stainer & Bell.

The RPS is particularly thankful to Making Music – the UK’s principal organisation supporting leisure-time music-making – for their help and insights in planning this award.

Recent recipients of the RPS Inspiration Award include Belfast’s Open Arts Community Choir in 2025, and previously Derwent Brass, Torbay Symphony Orchestra, and Hilary Campbell and Bristol Choral Society.