Awards for Young Musicians

Application site

The notes are addressed to young people. We encourage you to take a lead on your application.

Frequently asked questions

If you don't find the answer to your question here, then contact us.

Q 1: Am I eligible?

A 1: Check out this page about our eligibility criteria.

If you're still unsure after reading that then complete Stage 1 of the application and we'll let you know!

Please note that we're unable to accept applications from young musicians who are already part of our Furthering Talent programme.

Q 2: What kind of young musician do you support?

A 2: All kinds

You're on your own musical path and we want to hear about it. Make sure you've checked that you're eligible to apply. Then show us that:

you have the potential and passion to take your music to a high level with the right support
you've made great progress with whatever music education you've had access to and you now need support to take your next steps
you love what you do and have ideas for how you want to develop as an artist

Q 3: When can I apply?

A 3: At any time.

We have no set deadlines. Why not get started now?

Q 4: How long does the application take?

A 4: It depends

It depends on a few things, like what evidence you choose to send us of your music. If you have something ready to show, then you might find the rest of the application takes just an hour or so. If you're going to create something new, you might want to gives this some time. We'd suggest not rushing.

Note: You will need to wait a up to a few days after you complete Stage 1 of the application, as AYM will need to review your answers and let you know if you're eligible to apply.

Q 5: Should I apply for a certain amount of money?

A 5: No

We won't ask you to apply for a certain amount. If we offer you and Award it will be for an amount between £100 - £2,000. Our average Award in 2020 was £550.

Q 6: What should I apply for?

A 6: You don't need to apply for a specific thing

We won't ask you to list the exact music item(s) and how much they cost. You can tell us about the type of musical costs you have coming up and ways you might spend the Award. If we offer you an Award, you can decide exactly how to spend the funding then.

Q 7: How will you pay me the Award money?

A 7: We won't.

We'll pay for the musical items directly. We'll explain how this all works when we offer you the Award.

Q 8: Is there anything you won't fund?

A 8: Yes.

Here are a few things you wouldn't be able to spend an Award on:

Reimbursing you for a musical item you've already bought
Costs involving an international transfer of money
Academic school fees
Higher education fees
Orchestral tours/some other courses
Music therapy sessions

If you're unsure whether we could fund what you need, then contact us for advice.

Q 9: Can I get help from an adult with my application, or does it need to be all my own work?

A 9: Yes.

In fact, it's important that an adult does support you. An appropriate adult will need to sign your application to vouch that you are eligible for the Award, in line with our financial eligibility criteria.

We know that younger children and young people with additional needs will need more adult input.

Q 10: How often can I apply?

A 10: Once a year

If we offer you an Award you will have 12 months to spend the funds and you'll have 12 months of support through our Awards programme. If you're still eligible after the year, i.e. you haven't turned 18 and your family financial circumstances haven't changed, then you can apply again

If we don't offer you an Award, then you will also need to wait 12 months to apply again.

Q 11: Do you prefer to support one genre over another?

A 11: No

We support all genres and styles of music. We have a diverse pool of adjudicators who make decisions on the Awards and they have expertise across a wide range of genres.

We really encourage young people working in under-represented genres in the UK to apply.

Q 12: Do I need to be a performer to apply?

A 12: No

If you're into writing or producing music but you don't play a traditional instrument and getting up on stage isn't your thing, that's fine. We're here to support music creators just as much as performers. You can demonstrate your musical talent by sending us examples of your work and telling us how you created them.

Q 13: Do I have to be aiming for a career in music to apply?

A 13: No

If you're aiming for a career in a music, that's great. But it doesn't need to be the reason you make music. Wanting to take your music to a high level for other reasons it totally fine.

Q 14: Why might you turn down my application?

A 14: That's complicated ...

We hate saying no and we know that it can be really disappointing.

We wish we could offer funding to every eligible young musician who applies to us. As a charity we're constantly fundraising to be able support more young people, but our funds are limited. So this is a competitive programme and we can't say yes to everyone.

If you get a 'no' it will mean that, on balance, our adjudication panel felt that you demonstrated a lower level of one or more of the points in A2, than other young musicians applying for support.