Shortlist announced for Music & Drama Education Awards 2022

Thursday, December 9, 2021

The winners will be announced by our guest host at a ceremony at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, on 23 March 2022.

The shortlist for 12 categories in the Music & Drama Education Awards 2022 have been published, revealing those in the running to take home an award at the ceremony in March next year.

Run annually by Music Teacher and Drama & Theatre magazines, the Awards celebrate the work of initiatives, organisations, charities and individuals in both music and drama education.

Last year’s ceremony took place online, but the event will return in person in 2022, at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, on 23 March.

The judging panel is made up of prominent figures in music and drama education, as well as winners from last year’s Awards. 

For music and the cross-over categories, the judges are: Harriet Clifford (chair), Nate Holder, Donna Edmonds, Greg Coughlin, and Mark Robinson (for the Rocksteady Award for Progressive and Inclusive Music Education only). 

For drama and the cross-over categories, the judges are Sarah Lambie (chair), Tracy Dorrington, Suzann McLean, Keith Burt, and Joe England (for Excellence in SEND only). Meet the judges here.

Bringing the sector together after a challenging few years, the March ceremony will feature live performances, a champagne reception, and a three course dinner. 

The shortlisted entries in music and the cross-over categories are as follows: 

Outstanding Musical Initiative (sponsored by the Royal Marines Band Service)

  • Durham Music’s Big Play 2021
  • Lockdown Piping Club
  • Manor Music City
  • MiSST – Music in Secondary Schools Trust
  • Orchestras for All
  • Rap Club
  • Warwick Music Group, for Buzz21
  • Young Voices, for YV Biggest Sing 2021

Outstanding Music Education Resource (sponsored by Casio)

  • ABC of Opera – The Academy of Barmy Composers, for Any Body Can – Amdani Blant Cymru
  • Bristol Beacon, for 5 A Day Music: A Recovery Resource for Schools
  • Collins Music and Rachel Shapey, for 50 Inspiring ideas: How to teach composition in the secondary classroom
  • Hal Leonard Europe and YolanDa Brown, for The ABCs of Music: My First Music Book
  • Musical Futures Online
  • Royal Opera House, for Create and Sing
  • SFZ Gary Griffiths Ltd for Music Unlocked
  • MTA, for Teaching Notes: The Music Teachers’ Association Podcast – Seasons 2 and 3 (Academic Year 2020-2021)

Excellence in Primary/Early Years

  • Collins Music, Sue Nicholls and Sally Hickman, for Early Years Foundation Stage
  • Greenwich Music School, for Musical Beginnings
  • Leeds Playhouse, for Partner Schools
  • London Rhymes
  • Nottingham Girls’ High School, for Da Capo: An EY Music Programme
  • Services for Education, for Soundtots

Excellence in SEND

  • Harrington_projects and Breck Foundation, for Play Virtual, Live Real and SEN resources
  • Chiltern Music Therapy Digital Outreach Initiative
  • HMDT Music, for Music Treehouse
  • Live Music Now’s Beatboxing for Lung Health and Speech Development
  • Mousetrap Theatre Projects for Playmakers

Excellence in Musical Theatre

  • A Place for us CIC, for Electric Dreams
  • Mousetrap Theatre Projects, for Change Your Tune
  • Terra Kulture/BAP Productions, for Music Reading Classes
  • The School Musicals Company and RSL, for Performance Arts Awards books
  • The School Musicals Company, for A-la-la-la-la-laddin the Musical

The Rocksteady Award for Progressive and Inclusive Music Education (sponsored by Rocksteady)

  • Noise Solution
  • Passport to Music
  • Rap Club
  • The Music Man Project

Francesca Hanley Inspiration Award (sponsored by the Musicians’ Union)

  • Byron Barrett
  • Ben England BEM
  • Davis Gonnella
  • Gary Griffiths
  • Ben Sayah
  • Anna Stevens
  • Benjamin Turner

Outstanding School Music Department (sponsored by the Music Teachers’ Association)

  • Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Birmingham
  • Heywood Prep, Corsham
  • Nottingham Girls’ High School
  • RGS High Wycombe
  • St. Aidan’s C of E High School, Harrogate
  • St George’s Academy, Sleaford, Lincolnshire
  • Ullswater Community College

The winners of three other categories will also be announced on 23 March: the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Music Teacher Magazine Editor’s Award (sponsored by EVC Music), and the Drama & Theatre Magazine Editor’s Award. 

Information about how to purchase tickets for the ceremony can be found here, and the shortlists for all categories can be found here. 

N.B. Judges with a connection to an entry did not participate in the judging of that category.

www.musicdramaedawards.com ​