Musicians' Company John Dankworth and Eddie Harvey Prizes for young composers 2025 – winners revealed!

Winners of the Musicians' Company John Dankworth and Eddie Harvey Prizes were presented with their awards earlier this week after performances of both the winners' and runners' up compositions and arrangements at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire jazz club. The presentations were made to the winners by Peggy Harvey (widow of arranger-trombonist-pianist and educator Eddie Harvey) and Alec Dankworth (son of the late Sir John Dankworth).

The Dankworth Prizes for Jazz Composition were established by The Musicians’ Company in association with Sir John and his family, and The Wavendon Foundation, to encourage young composers to create original works.  There are two music prizes for original compositions in original arrangements by the composer of music in the jazz idiom. The Big Band Prize was £1,500 and the Small Ensemble Prize was £1,000.

The Eddie Harvey Jazz Arranger of the Year Award was established to perpetuate the memory of Eddie Harvey and to honour his expressed wish to try to ensure that arrangers of jazz compositions receive due acknowledgement of the importance of their contributions to jazz.  A winning prize of £1,500.00 is offered. To that end, The Musicians’ Company,  with generous support from the Harvey estate, maintains The Eddie Harvey Jazz Arranger of the Year Award 

 
Dankworth Big Band Composition Prize 2024
Winner: Scottie Thompson - Skyline
Runner-up: Jonny Ford - Wheeler Lane
 
Dankworth Small Ensemble Composition Prize 2024
Winner: Lewis Sallows - Maritime
Runner-up: Joe Evans - The Absolute State of You
 
Harvey Award for Arranging 2024
Winner: Olivia Murphy - You Are There
Runner-up: Finn Genockey - Go