ABO Impact 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 ABO Impact Awards.
We want to celebrate the people who make the UK classical music sector brilliant – whatever their role, or team. This is your moment!
The ABO Impact Awards (formerly the ABO Annual Awards) seek to celebrate individuals or groups of individuals from within the ABO membership whose work, particular project or initiative demonstrates the values of inspiration, innovation or collaboration.
There are five awards, one for each of the ABO’s priority areas, demonstrating the values above. The categories are as follows:
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Learning and Development
Health and Wellbeing
Environmental Sustainability
Innovation
Examples of each category, along with previous winners can be found below as a guide only. As previously, these will not reward on-stage performance.
The awards are presented at the ABO's Annual Conference each year.
Nominations now open for ABO Impact Awards 2026
Nominations are now open until 5pm on Friday 28 November 2025.
The awards will be presented at the ABO Annual Conference, in February 2026 in London.
HOW TO NOMINATE
- Please submit your nomination by completing the nomination form on Survey Monkey here by 5pm, Friday 28 November 2025.
- 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 priorities (listed below) in the calendar year of 2025.
- 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 2025. 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 2026.
Categories:
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Examples:
- A significant change in repertoire & concert programming with representation from global majority composers, soloists and conductors
- Notable changes in audition processes following participation in the Inclusive Recruitment programme
Learning and Development
Examples:
- A new programme established to shape the next generation of talent and securing a future for classical music in the North (2025 awards winners: Manchester Camerata for Camerata 360°)
- Impactful work in a healthcare setting, evidenced by a new research report
- Collaborative working across three Music Hubs to develop a new youth ensemble in a previously under-served region
Environmental Sustainability
Examples:
- Using an evidence-based approach to environmental sustainability and changing an orchestra’s approach to sustainable touring (Scottish Ensemble, Winner 2024)
- Sustainability reports showing evidenced improvements
- A community or educational project focussed on highlighting issues and raising awareness of climate change and the environment.
Health and Wellbeing
Examples:
- Impactful work in a healthcare setting, evidenced by a new research report
- Long-term partnership recognised with extensive funding from new NHS partner
- A musician who re-trained as a music therapist and has led the orchestra’s work with people living with dementia (Manchester Camerata, Winner 2024)
Innovation
Examples:
- Expansion of the global audience through digital platforms and an impactful television moment (London Philharmonic Orchestra, Winner 2024)
- A new idea or method successfully introduced to support organisational innovation, efficiency and growth, for example in audience development, fundraising and administrative processes