The Winners of the 2024 Music Mark Awards!

At our conference dinner on Monday 18^th November, we announced the winners of the 2024 Music Mark Awards! Across five categories, it was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of our members in the music education sector who have been championing innovation, inclusivity, sustainability and more. If you missed it, don’t forget to check out the full shortlist for this year’s awards here!

This Is Not A Rehearsal Sustainability Award, sponsored by Normans Education

Linking with this year’s This Is Not A Rehearsal campaign, this award focuses on the climate crisis. We want to celebrate the work that members are doing in this area to highlight challenges, react artistically, and lead the way in enacting creative solutions in how music education responds to climate issues.

The winner is… Lincolnshire Music Service’s ‘Sing to Change: Boston 2 Boston’

‘Sing to Change: Boston 2 Boston’ brought together 1,500 primary school children from Boston (UK) and Boston (USA), encouraging young people to discuss climate change and express the effect on their futures through song. Participants from eight deprived areas of Lincolnshire UK, and three US schools were recorded in both audio and visual, creating a music video that was released globally. A screening was held at Kirton Primary, Boston UK, connecting in real time to a participating US school, enabling climate change discussions. The project was delivered in partnership with The Come and Sing Company, Scruffy Bear Media and was funded by an Arts Council England Project Grant.

Talk into Action Inclusion Award, sponsored by Sing Up

The Talk into Action Inclusion Award celebrates the work of members that is meaningful and innovating in widening access to music education. Linking with Music Mark’s ongoing focus on equity and inclusion following our Talk into Action campaign, this work should improve inclusivity and ensure our young people and communities are well represented in music-making.

And the winner is… Lancashire Music Service

As part of the wider music technology strategy written by Ben Rapp for Lancashire Music Service, an accessible instrument and music technology library has been created – the first of its kind. The ten specialist instruments currently offered in the Library were chosen to allow maximum engagement with pupils of all abilities, individually and in groups, and for use by non-verbal students and those with limited movement. Teaching templates and videos for each of the resources are freely available online, allowing Specialist Schools to try out cutting-edge resources before completing any purchases, with plans to roll them out to mainstream schools.

Youth Initiative of the Year, sponsored by ABRSM

Celebrating youth-led projects, this award seeks to highlight the work of children and young people in making great music initiatives happen. There are no parameters on what projects should be, other than they be led by youth voices.

And this year’s winner is… Orchestras for All

In the UK, the need to improve access to music-making and music education for young people is growing. National youth music charity, Orchestras for All (OFA) is working tirelessly to address this need. OFA breaks down barriers to give all young people the life-changing experience of making music together. Its inclusive, non-auditioned National Orchestra for All brings together 100 young musicians from across the UK who would otherwise be unable to access musical opportunities. Their Modulo and Music Leadership Training programmes have a broad reach and impact on young people, and they place young people at the heart of their work with youth roles on their Board of Trustees, staff team, and Youth Board.

Digital Project of the Year, sponsored by SpeedAdmin

Innovation in how we use technology is a key area of opportunity for many in music education, and we want to share and celebrate some of the most exciting projects and activity taking place around the UK, that have digital and technology as a key component of their success.

This year’s winner is… Lancashire Music Service

Lancashire Music Service’s accessible instrument and music technology library also won the Digital Project of the Year award, for its innovation and impact in the digital space and for improving accessibility and inclusion in music education.

Unsung Hero in Music Education

So much great work across the UK from organisations and individuals goes under the radar. We want to highlight this work, not only to celebrate achievements, but to share ideas and inspire others with what is happening around the country.

And the winner is… Nick Howdle

Nick Howdle has, for several years, led one of the most innovative and dynamic Music Education Hubs in England: Wiltshire Music Connect. Navigating the closure of the Music Service, Nick also established the Wiltshire Music Connect Associate Scheme, Music Cluster and tuition subsidy Schemes, was the driving force behind setting up the national DIME alliance, and pushed boundaries with his Over the Digital Horizon project. He is never afraid to try new models or buck the trend by calling out outdated or inequitable approaches. He strives constantly to make music education fair, future-facing and sustainable.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated for a Music Mark Award, those who made it onto the shortlist, and of course our winners, for all of your hard work and innovation within the music education sector! And don’t forget to start thinking about who you’d like to nominate for next year’s awards.