Association of British Orchestras

ABO Annual Awards

As the representative body for the UK’s orchestras and the wider music ecology around them, each year the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) celebrates the dedication, inspiration and achievements of the people who work in our sector through the annual ABO Classical Music Awards, in partnership with Classical Music.

We want to celebrate the people who make the UK classical music sector brilliant – whatever their role, or team. This is your moment!

Last year, the ABO Annual Awards, previously the ABO Classical Music Awards, took a new form. Instead of being linked to specific management roles, we now ask for nominations for individuals or groups of individuals from within the  ABO membership  whose work, particular project or initiative demonstrates inspiration,innovation or collaboration. 

This year, there will be five awards, one for each of the ABO’s priority areas, demonstrating the values above.

The categories are:

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion;
  • Learning and development;
  • Green orchestras;
  • Health and wellbeing;
  • Innovation and digital.   

The awards will be presented at the ABO Annual Conference, in February 2025 in Gateshead. As previously, these will not reward on-stage performance.

Nominations are now open until 5pm on Friday 29 November 2024. 

HOW TO NOMINATE

  • Please submit your nomination by completing the nomination form hereand emailing to rebecca@abo.org.uk with subject line ‘ABO Annual Awards – nomination’, by 5pm on Friday 29th November 2024.
  • Any individual of an ABO member organisation can nominate a colleague or group of colleagues within the ABO’s membership for an award. You can’t nominate yourself.
  • The nomination needs to show how the individual or group of individuals have demonstrated the values of inspiration, innovation or collaboration and contributed to the ABO’s Priority Areas in the calendar year of 2024.
  • The categories are:
    • Equity, diversity and inclusion;
    • Learning and development;
    • Green orchestras;
    • Health and wellbeing;
    • Innovation and digital.   
  • Nominations cannot be submitted anonymously to ensure that the process remains accountable and transparent. However, the nominee(s) will not be told who made the nomination.
  • Nominations will be reviewed by a judging panel in December 2024. The judging panel will revolve each year to be representative and to reflect sector expertise across the wider ABO membership
  • An organisation’s leader will be consulted for comment on the content of shortlisted nominations.
  • Shortlisted nominees will be informed and the winners will be announced at the ABO’s annual conference in February 2025.

To see award winners from previous years please click here.

Fill out the nomination form below:

2025 ABO Annual Awards Nomination Form

Annual Conference

The next ABO conference will take place in Gateshead,
hosted by The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, from 5-7 February 2025.