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
Meet our most recent Rushworth winner – Rob Hughes
Rob Hughes is a composer, arranger and cellist based in Manchester.
After studying music at the University of Manchester, he completed a master’s degree in composition at the Royal Northern College of Music. His works span contemporary classical concert music, ambient electronic soundscapes, big band jazz, and music theatre.
Last year, Rob was selected for Britten Sinfonia’s Opus 1 Composer Development Scheme, and his piece Refraction was premiered in November by a trio of their musicians at King’s Place, London. He has also written for the Victoria String Quartet as part of Manchester Midday Concerts Society’s New Music in the North West.
Rob also composes for film and media projects, most recently collaborating with Story Films Ltd. and director Helen Waddell to create an original score for Catching My Stalker, a true-crime documentary which aired on Channel 4 in 2025.
“I’m incredibly excited to be working with everyone at Liverpool Philharmonic over the coming year, and hugely grateful for this opportunity. It’s a massive privilege to work with an organisation so dedicated to supporting the creation of new music, in a city with so much musical heritage. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the incredible musicians…and building connections that I will take with me for the rest of my career.” – Rob Hughes
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.
Please make sure you apply in good time. We won't be able to accept late applications, and we can't be responsible for applications we don't receive.
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.