Rushworth Composition Prize

The Rushworth Composition Prize provides incredible opportunities for early-career composers who write original music. 

In association with the Rushworth Foundation, the prize winner will be awarded £1000 and commissioned to compose a new work for Liverpool Philharmonic’s 10:10, our contemporary music ensemble. But there’s plenty more. During the commission period, the winner will take part in workshops, masterclasses and mentoring sessions with composers, musicians, conductors and other industry professionals who are friends of the Phil. A brand-new commission, a work premiered by our musicians, and a long-term creative relationship with the Phil – we’ll be there to support our winner through the start of their career and beyond. 
 

Applications are now open

They’ll close at midday on 28 September 2026.

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Who can apply? 

We’re looking for applications from composers who… 
  • are at an early stage in their composing career
  • are at least 18 years old on 28 September 2026 – there’s no upper age limit
  • currently live, work or were born in the North West (Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria) or are a registered student at a North West higher education institution
  • have the right to work in the UK 
Application Form

Application Pack

Meet some of our previous winners...

Andrew Barney, 2024
  • Born and raised on Merseyside
  • Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir member
  • Studied French and Spanish at the University of Leeds, and Jazz and Classical choir at the Université de Montréal
  • Performed with Venezuelan folk singer, Mario Espinoza
  • Works performed as part of Liverpool’s Black History Month 2024
  • Artist in Residence for Leeds Opera North Resonance Programme 2025 
Samuel Kane, 2023
  • Won Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year
  • Studied at the Royal Northern College of Music
  • Former leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra 
  • Commissioned to compose for the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble
  • Studied with Neil Martin, Steven Daverson and Caroline Shaw at the Stauffer Centre for Strings, Cremona
  • Has had a composition broadcast on Classic FM, winning the station’s Big Platinum Performance prize 
Christopher Cook, 2022
  • Based in Manchester
  • Works performed by the BBC Philharmonic and in the US, the Dallas Brass Band
  • Former winner of the Brookwright International Brass Band composition competition
  • 2021 finalist in the John Armitage Memorial Prize
  • 2022 RNCM Gold Medal finalist
  • Composed soundtracks for feature films including Code of Silence (2021), Wolves of War (2022) and Skeleton of a Moth (2021) 

Find out more about Christopher here.

Nneka Cummins, 2021
  • From Liverpool, now based in London
  • One of the composers on the 2026 RPS programme
  • 2025 winner of the Ivor Classical Award for Best Large Ensemble
  • Awarded a Paul Hamlyn Artist’s award 2023
  • A Sound and Music New Voices Composer 2022/2023
  • Philharmonia Composer Academy fellow 2022/2023 with their work, 3 Planets, premiered at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall and recorded for release 

Find out more about Nneka here.

Carmel Smickersgill, 2018
  • Based in Manchester
  • Studied with Gary Carpenter at the Royal Northern College of Music 
  • Work featured on BBC Radio 3
  • Previously commissioned for Brighter Sound, Psappha, No Dice and CoMA
  • Directed her ensemble, Smudge, and collaborated with visual artist Liam Gillick and the band New Order
  • Winner of both the Terence Greeves Prize and the Edward Hecht Prize 

Find out more about Carmel here.

Grace-Evangeline Mason, 2017
  • Studied composition at the Royal Northern College of Music 
  • 2013 winner of the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers competition
  • Works performed as part of the BBC Proms
  • Compositions broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4
  • Former composer in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
  • Had several works performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra 

Find out more about Grace-Evangeline here.

Hear from Jonathan Rushworth

Late applications will not be accepted. Liverpool Philharmonic accepts no responsibility for applications not received.

Liverpool Philharmonic are signatories to Sound and Music’s Fair Access Principles, designed to act as a code of best practice for running successful, open and inclusive artist development programmes, competitions and awards for composers. 

For more information, or to discuss individual accessibility needs, please contact Montserrat Fuentes-Romero at learning@liverpoolphil.com or call 07977 164794.

To support fair access to the Rushworth Composition Prize, we also accept video applications as part of this process. Please see the application form for details.