# BBC Young Musician

BBC Young Musician is a televised national music competition broadcast biennially on BBC Television and BBC Radio 3. Originally BBC Young Musician of the Year, its name was changed in 2010.
The competition, a former member of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY), is open to UK-resident percussion, keyboard, string, brass and woodwind players, who are eighteen years of age or under on 1 January in the relevant year.

## History

The competition was established in 1978 by Humphrey Burton, Walter Todds and Roy Tipping, former members of the BBC Television Music Department. Michael Hext, a trombonist, was the inaugural winner. In 1994, the percussion category was added, alongside the existing keyboard, string, brass and woodwind categories. The competition has five stages: regional auditions, category auditions, category finals, semi-finals and the final. The biennial competition is managed and produced by BBC Cymru Wales.
To date, there have been 22 winners, the youngest being 12-year-old Peter Moore. In 2014, the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award was introduced; Alexander Bone, a saxophonist, was the inaugural winner.
As a result of the success of the competition, the Eurovision Young Musicians competition was initiated in 1982. The first edition was broadcast live from Manchester's Free Trade Hall. The presenter was Humphrey Burton and the producer was Roy Tipping. The winner of BBC Young Musician often went on to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Young Musicians.
For the tenth edition of the competition in 1996, a series of recitals given by past finalists were broadcast on BBC Two in a late-night timeslot. The competition celebrated its 30th anniversary in May 2008 with a documentary narrated by Gethin Jones on BBC Two and with former participants speaking to 2006 winner Mark Simpson for Young Musicians Grown Old on BBC Radio 4. BBC Four's documentary BBC Young Musician: Forty Years Young was aired on 3 April 2018. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, the first BBC Young Musician Prom was held at the Royal Albert Hall and broadcast live on 15 July 2018. Presented by Clemency Burton-Hill, the concert featured performances from past winners and finalists alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Andrew Gourlay.
The 2020 competition was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, after proceeding as normal up to and including the filming of the semi-final. The five category finals were broadcast in May and June 2020, with broadcast of the semi-final and recording of the final postponed, at first until the autumn, and then into 2021. The Jazz Award final was broadcast as planned on 22 November 2020, having been recorded at Cadogan Hall in the absence of an audience. The grand final was recorded in April 2021 – also without an audience – and broadcast on 2 May, preceded on 30 April by the delayed broadcast of the semi-final.
The 2022 competition was deferred from spring to early autumn and was broadcast in October; the semi-final stage of the competition (introduced in 2010) was discontinued for that year. For the 2024 competition, a new format was introduced: category finals were replaced by two quarter-finals each featuring six musicians. A total of six musicians progress to the semi-final, and then three to the grand final.

### Broadcast

Regional heats were televised in 1978; a round before the category final was aired until 1994, and again in 2002 and 2004. From 1978 to 1984, all programmes were broadcast on BBC One until it was moved to BBC Two in 1986; however from 2002 to 2012, the majority of the competition rounds were moved to BBC Four, with only a highlights/preview show (in 2002 and 2004) and the final aired on BBC Two. Previously, additional programmes were broadcast as part of each competition alongside coverage in some later years on BBC Radio 3.
In 2010, highlights of the new semi-final stage were also broadcast on BBC Two. In 2014, all stages of the competition moved to BBC Four, and the category finals and the grand final were broadcast on BBC Radio 3. For the 2018 competition, Radio 3 broadcast a 30-minute concert starring each competitor in the week before their category final aired. For 2024, the grand final will be broadcast on BBC Two for the first time since 2012 in the form of highlights of the concerto performances, whilst the full concert programme is to be aired on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3.

### Hosts

The following have hosted stages of the competition:

#### Classical Award

* Humphrey Burton (1978–1992)
* Ernest Lush (1978)
* 1978 regional finals
** Mary Marquis (Scotland)
** Alun Williams (Wales)
** Marian Foster (Midlands and East Anglia)
** Margaret Percy (Northern Ireland)
** Jeremy Carrad (South and West of England)
* Jane Glover (1986, 1988)
* J Mervyn Williams (1990)
* Edward Gregson (1990 final)
* Paul Daniel (1992 final)
* Sarah Greene (1994)
* Christopher Warren-Green (1996)
* Sarah Walker (1996)
* Stephanie Hughes (1998–2004)
* Iain Burnside (2002–2004)
* Alistair Appleton (2004)
* Howard Goodall (2006, 2010 final)
* Gethin Jones (2008)
* Aled Jones (2008)
* Nicola Loud (2008)
* Clemency Burton-Hill (2010–12, 2014 final, 2016, 2018 final)
* Josie d'Arby (2012, 2016 final, 2018, 2020, 2022 final)
* Alison Balsom (2014, 2016, 2018 final)
* Miloš Karadaglić (2014)
* Anna Lapwood (2020)
* Jess Gillam (2020 final, 2022, 2024)
* Alexis Ffrench (2022)

#### Jazz Award

* Josie d'Arby (2014, 2016, 2018)
* Soweto Kinch (2014)
* Joe Stilgoe (2016)
* YolanDa Brown (2018, 2020, 2024)
* Jamz Supernova (2022)
* Huw Stephens (2022, 2024)

## Related awards
### BBC Young Dancer

A competitive dance version, BBC Young Dancer, was launched in October 2014 and first awarded in May 2015.

### BBC Young Jazz Musician

A separate competition for a Jazz Award was first held during the 2014 season, with the final broadcast on BBC Four in the week after the classical final. In 2016, the Jazz Award final was episode 7 of the 8-part BBC Four series, broadcast two days before the classical final. In 2018, the jazz competition had an upper age limit of 21 and the final was recorded for BBC Four in November as part of the London Jazz Festival; it was broadcast on 25 November, six months after the main final.

## Winners
### Classical Award

| Year | Name | Instrument | Place of study | Winning age | Notes | Finals venue |
| 1978 | Michael Hext | Trombone | Royal College of Music | 17 | Orchestra member at The Royal Opera House Covent Garden and occasional solo performances | RNCM Concert Hall, Manchester |
| 1980 | Nicholas Daniel | Oboe | Royal Academy of Music | 18 | International soloist and principal oboe of the Britten Sinfonia. Founder of the Britten Oboe Quartet and the Haffner Wind Ensemble. Has performed at numerous BBC Proms. | RNCM Concert Hall, Manchester |
| 1982 | Anna Markland | Piano | Chethams School, University of Oxford, Royal Academy of Music | 18 | Has since developed a reputation as a teacher, adjudicator and singer as Anna Crookes | Free Trade Hall, Manchester |
| 1984 | Emma Johnson | Clarinet | Sevenoaks School, Cambridge University | 18 | Solo clarinettist with a repertoire of over 40 concertos | Free Trade Hall, Manchester |
| 1986 | Alan Brind | Violin | Royal Academy of Music | 17 | Has since led the European Union Youth Orchestra and won the Young Musician of the Year award | Free Trade Hall, Manchester |
| 1988 | David Pyatt | Horn | Watford Grammar School for Boys | 14 | Youngest winner of the award at the time. Has performed at numerous BBC Proms. Principal at London Philharmonic Orchestra. | Free Trade Hall, Manchester |
| 1990 | Nicola Loud | Violin | Royal Academy of Music, Juilliard School | 15 | Has appeared in multiple British orchestras and several abroad | St David's Hall, Cardiff |
| 1992 | Freddy Kempf | Piano | St Edmund's School, Canterbury, Royal Academy of Music, London University | 14 | Became the youngest person at the time to win the award. Has since released numerous recital discs. | Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow |
| 1994 | Natalie Clein | Cello | Royal College of Music, Heinrich Schiff | 15 | Became the first British winner of the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians. Has performed with several British orchestras. | Barbican, London |
| 1996 | Rafal Zambrzycki Payne | Violin | Yehudi Menuhin School, Royal Northern College of Music, Herbert von Karajan Centre | 18 | Won second prize at the Luxemburg International Violin Competition. Performed in orchestras in Europe, the United States, South Africa, The Middle East and Zimbabwe. | Symphony Hall, Birmingham |
| 1998 | Adrian Spillett | Percussion | Royal Northern College of Music | 19 | First percussionist to win the award. Has performed with an array of ensembles including the 4-MALITY Percussion Quartet. Principal Percussionist with the CBSO. Former Head of Percussion at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire | Waterfront Hall, Belfast |
| 2000 | Guy Johnston | Cello | Chetham's School of Music, Eastman School of Music | 18 | A performance at the Royal Albert Hall made him the youngest soloist to appear on the first night of The Proms. | Bridgewater Hall, Manchester |
| 2002 | Jennifer Pike | Violin | Chetham's School of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama | 12 | At the time, was the youngest ever winner of the award. Has appeared as a soloist with British orchestras and performed at other BBC events. | Barbican, London |
| 2004 | Nicola Benedetti | Violin | Yehudi Menuhin School | 16 | Performed with the BBC concert orchestra and recorded her debut album with Daniel Harding and the London Symphony Orchestra | Usher Hall, Edinburgh |
| 2006 | Mark Simpson | Clarinet | Royal College of Music, Oxford University, Guildhall School of Music & Drama | 17 | Was the Principal Clarinet of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Started studies at the Royal College of Music, but dropped out to go to the University of Oxford. | The Sage, Gateshead |
| 2008 | Peter Moore | Trombone | Chetham's School of Music | 12 | Youngest winner of the award. Co-principal at London Symphony Orchestra. | Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay |
| 2010 | Lara Ömeroğlu | Piano | Purcell School, Royal College of Music | 16 | Nowadays known by the name of Lara Melda | Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay |
| 2012 | Laura van der Heijden | Cello | Royal College of Music | 15 | Her debut album 1948 won the 2018 Edison Klassiek Award; the following year she won BBC Music Magazine's Newcomer of the Year Award. | The Sage, Gateshead |
| 2014 | Martin James Bartlett | Piano | Royal College of Music, Purcell School | 17 | He appeared in 2012 competition, at the age of 15, as a finalist in the keyboard category | Usher Hall, Edinburgh |
| 2016 | Sheku Kanneh-Mason | Cello | Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Catholic Comprehensive School | 17 | He holds the ABRSM Junior Scholarship to The Royal Academy of Music. Has played in the Chineke! Orchestra, as well as the JRAM Symphony Orchestra, and played chamber music with the Kanneh-Mason Piano Trio and the Ash String Trio. | Barbican, London |
| 2018 | Lauren Zhang | Piano | Birmingham Junior Conservatoire, King Edward VI High School for Girls | 16 | Played the fiendishly difficult Prokofiev Concerto no.2 and was commended for her 'inherent musical intelligence' and 'exceptional technical ability'. Won first prize at the 15th Ettlingen International Piano Competition in 2016. First Asian winner of the competition. | Symphony Hall, Birmingham |
| 2020 | Fang Zhang | Percussion | Chetham's School of Music | 17 | Member of the China Youth Percussion Orchestra and has won percussions competitions in China, New York and Tokyo. | Bridgewater Hall, Manchester |
| 2022 | Jordan Ashman | Percussion | Royal Birmingham Conservatoire | 17 | He has played with the National Children's Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Brass Band. | Bridgewater Hall, Manchester |
| 2024 | Ryan Wang | Piano | Collingwood School, Eton College | 17 | His performance of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto in the Final was described by judge Alexis Ffrench as "world class". | Bristol Beacon |

### Jazz Award

| Year | Name | Instrument | Place of study | Winning age | Notes | Finals venue |
| 2014 | Alexander Bone | Saxophone | Chetham's School of Music | 17 | Inaugural winner of the separate Jazz Award competition | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff |
| 2016 | Alexandra Ridout | Trumpet | Royal Academy of Music, Purcell School | 17 | Her 21-year-old brother Tom was also a finalist | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff |
| 2018 | Xhosa Cole | Saxophone | Holyhead School, Ladywood Community School of Music | 22 | Has played saxophone in the Jazzlines Ensemble, Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra and Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra among others. While studying in sixth form, Xhosa attended courses with the National Youth Jazz Collective and National Youth Wind Orchestra. He performs and teaches regularly around Birmingham. | Queen Elizabeth Hall, London |
| 2020 | Deschanel Gordon | Piano | Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance | 22 | Has collaborated with Mercury Prize-nominated SEED Ensemble and Mark Kavuma's The Banger Factory, and also has his own trio. | Cadogan Hall, London |
| 2022 | Ewan Hastie | Double bass | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland | 20 | Has toured with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and the Sligo Jazz Festival; previously received the Mark McKergow Prize for Jazz Improvisation. | Queen Elizabeth Hall, London |
| 2024 | Ursula Harrison | Double bass | Cardiff University, Conservatorium van Amsterdam | 22 | Has worked with a variety of large ensembles and performed with musicians Huw Warren, Ant Law and Angharad Jenkins. Ursula’s band Orbit Street was selected as a Forté Project artist for 2024 and recorded a new EP, Fores. | Queen Elizabeth Hall, London |

## Past finalists
### Key

| † | Person won the competition of that year |
| Bold | Performer got through to the final |
| Italics | Performer was present at the semi-final stage |

### 1970s
#### 1978

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Jeremy Atkin | Piano |
| Wissam Boustany | Flute |
| William Brewer | Horn |
| Paul Coker | Piano |
| Michael Collins | Clarinet |
| Caroline Dale | Cello |
| Barry Douglas | Piano |
| Michael Hext† | Trombone |
| Stephen Hough | Piano |
| Malcolm Martineau | Piano |
| David Melville | Trombone |
| Susie Meszaros | Viola |
| Lindsay Miller | Oboe |
| Kevin Morgan | Tuba |
| Rona Murray | Violin |
| Robin O'Neill | Bassoon |
| Jonathan Rees | Violin |
| Kenneth Rhind | Tuba |
| Gillian Tingay | Harp |
| Colin Twigg | Violin |
| Robin Williams | Oboe |

### 1980s
#### 1980

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Niall Brown | Cello |
| Anna Carewe | Cello |
| Samuel Coles | Flute |
| Lorna Cook | Clarinet |
| Nicholas Daniel† | Oboe |
| Paul Galbraith | Guitar |
| John Bryan Henry | Piano |
| Jonathan Kowszun | Euphonium |
| Jacqueline Leveridge | Piano |
| David McClenaghan | Horn |
| Clare McFarlane | Violin |
| Bill Miller | Euphonium |
| Ronan O'Hora | Piano |
| Anthony Pike | Clarinet |
| Julie Price | Bassoon |
| Hilary Punshon | Piano |
| Robert Vanryne | Trumpet |
| Elaine Wolff | Cornet |

#### 1982

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Alexander Allen | Clarinet |
| Michael Bland | Clarinet |
| Sam Coles | Flute |
| Steven Craven | Cornet |
| Anthony Cross | Cornet |
| Paul Galbraith | Guitar |
| Richard Henry | Bass Trombone |
| Karen Jones | Flute |
| Marie-Noelle Kendall | Piano |
| James Kirby | Piano |
| Tasmin Little | Violin |
| Anna Markland† | Piano |
| Carla Marta Rodrigues | Viola |
| Jagdish Mistry | Violin |
| Jeanette Murphy | Horn |
| Jean Owen | Bassoon |
| Wendy Picton | Euphonium |
| Paul Richardson | Piano |
| Simon Smith | Violin |
| Mary Wu | Piano |

#### 1984

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Neyire Ashworth | Clarinet |
| Naomi Atherton | Horn |
| Brendan Ball | Trumpet |
| Nicola Bingham | Trumpet |
| Christopher Blake | Oboe |
| Jocelyn Boyer | Flute |
| Sarah Beth Briggs | Piano |
| Julian Cawdrey | Flute |
| Julian Dyson | Piano |
| Janice Graham | Violin |
| Andrew Harley | Piano |
| Emma Johnson† | Clarinet |
| Oren Marshall | Tuba |
| Robert Max | Cello |
| Richard May | Cello |
| Lucy Parham | Piano |
| Hannah Roberts | Cello |
| Ursula Smith | Cello |
| Julian Sperry | Flute |
| Louise Stopforth | Trombone |
| Simon Vidor | Piano |
| Abigail Young | Violin |

#### 1986

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Alan Brind† | Violin |
| Francesca Fraser | Recorder |
| Sam Haywood | Piano |
| Fiona Howes | Flute |
| Anthony Hughes | Piano |
| Boris Kucharsky | Violin |
| David Le Page | Violin |
| Jacob Lund | Tuba |
| Robert Markham | Piano |
| Jeremy Meehan | Bassoon |
| Steven Miller | Piano |
| Rachel Nadin | Piano |
| Anthony Neal | Trombone |
| Rhys Owens | Trumpet |
| Julian Plummer | Horn |
| Anna Pyne | Flute |
| Julian Sperry | Flute |
| Eva Stewart | Flute |
| Stephen Stewart | Trumpet |
| Annelies Terry | Cello |
| Victoria Wardman | Viola |

#### 1988

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Robert Agnew | Piano |
| Emily Beynon | Flute |
| Sarah Burnett | Bassoon |
| Rachel Clarke | Horn |
| David Horne | Piano |
| Boris Kucharsky | Violin |
| Jonathan Leathwood | Guitar |
| Ben Lees | Trumpet |
| Jonathan Middleton | Piano |
| Andrew Nicholson | Flute |
| Steven Osborne | Piano |
| Charles Owen | Piano |
| Craig Patterson | Trumpet |
| David Pyatt† | Horn |
| Katherine Spencer | Clarinet |
| Jennifer Sturgeon | Flute |
| Lucy Wakeford | Harp |
| Heather Wallington | Viola |
| Paul Watkins | Cello |
| David Whitehouse | Trombone |

### 1990s
#### 1990

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Thomas Adès | Piano |
| Cathy Beynon | Harp |
| Ruth Bolister | Oboe |
| Thomas Carroll | Cello |
| Martyn Chambers | Trumpet |
| Amy Claricoates | Cello |
| Simon Cowen | Trombone |
| Gareth Davies | Flute |
| Martin Douglas | Tuba |
| Laura Jellicoe | Flute |
| Daniel Jemison | Bassoon |
| Simon Johnson | Trombone |
| Nicola Loud† | Violin |
| Zoe Mather | Piano |
| Leon McCawley | Piano |
| Richard Ormrod | Piano |
| Jeremy Pooley | Horn |
| Jonathan Rimmer | Flute |
| Kirsty Staines | Violin |
| Karen Twitchett | Piano |

#### 1992

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Rachel Barnes | Bassoon |
| Thomas Carroll | Cello |
| Elaine Clark | Violin |
| Simon Cowen | Trombone |
| James Cuddeford | Violin |
| Robin Haggart | Tuba |
| Miranda Harding | Cello |
| Tim Horton | Piano |
| Freddy Kempf† | Piano |
| Michael Lynn | Clarinet |
| Louise McMahon | Flute |
| Heather McNaughton | Horn |
| Helen Moody | Oboe |
| Kevin Norbury | Tuba |
| Jason Ridgeway | Piano |
| Daniel Tong | Piano |
| Helen Vollam | Trombone |
| Jamie Walton | Cello |
| Maxine Willis | Flute |
| Rebecca Wood | Oboe |
| Anthony Zerpa-Falcon | Piano |

#### 1994

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Claire Allen | Trumpet |
| James Arnold | Trumpet |
| Adrian Brendel | Cello |
| Emma Bullough | Oboe |
| Edward Cervenka | Percussion |
| Natalie Clein† | Cello |
| Colin Currie | Percussion |
| David Edmonds | Flute |
| Sam Elliott | Tuba |
| Andrea Hallam | Violin |
| Stuart King | Clarinet |
| Jack Liebeck | Violin |
| Joseph Long | Piano |
| Katherine Mackintosh | Oboe |
| Claire Madin | Piano |
| Ruth McGinley | Piano |
| Philip Moore | Piano |
| Matthew Myatt | Piano |
| Rafal Payne | Violin |
| Matthew Perry | Percussion |
| Tracey Redfern | Trumpet |
| Julie Stewart | Flute |
| David Thornton | Euphonium |
| Andrea Vogler | Percussion |
| Stephen Whibley | Percussion |

#### 1996

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Juliette Bausor | Flute |
| Edward Cervenka | Percussion |
| Julien Cheriyan | Piano |
| Sam Elliot | Tuba |
| Alison Farr | Piano |
| Tim Gunnell | Percussion |
| Richard Harpham | Oboe |
| James Hart | Percussion |
| Ben Hudson | Bassoon |
| Mark Law | Trumpet |
| Rafal Zambrzycki Payne† | Violin |
| Katy Pryce | Trombone |
| Sally Pryce | Harp |
| David Quigley | Piano |
| Michael Rives | Percussion |
| Peter Roper-Curzon | Piano |
| Keith Slade | Clarinet |
| Daniel Smith | Piano |
| John Storey | Euphonium |
| Miriam Teppich | Violin |
| Sam Walton | Percussion |
| Adrian Wilson | Oboe |
| Helena Wood | Violin |
| Katharine Wood | Cello |
| Adam Wright | Trumpet |

#### 1998

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Ron Abramski | Piano |
| Mark Almond | French horn |
| Alison Balsom | Trumpet |
| John Barker | Saxophone |
| Juliette Bausor | Flute |
| Emma Brodie | Percussion |
| Katherine Bryan | Flute |
| Calum Cook | Cello |
| Andrew Cottee | Percussion |
| Sam Elliott | Tuba |
| Benjamin Errington | Viola |
| Alison Farr | Piano |
| Tim Gibbs | Double bass |
| Charys Green | Clarinet |
| Nicholas Hagon | Piano |
| David Hilton | Trumpet |
| Magnus Johnston | Violin |
| Niall Keatley | Trumpet |
| Marie Macleod | Cello |
| Magnus Mehta | Percussion |
| Troy Miller | Percussion |
| Helen Reid | Piano |
| Adrian Spillett† | Percussion |
| Nathan Williamson | Piano |
| Adrian Wilsom | Oboe |

### 2000s
#### 2000

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Angela Barnes | French horn |
| Katherine Bryan | Flute |
| David Childs | Euphonium |
| Simon Cosgrove | Saxophone |
| Elizabeth Couling | Oboe |
| Keith Forster | Percussion |
| Scott Foster | Percussion |
| Ashley Grote | Organ |
| Owen Gunnell | Percussion |
| Tom Hunter | Percussion |
| Guy Johnston† | Cello |
| Edward Jones | Trombone |
| Samantha Kerby | Recorder |
| Jack Liebeck | Violin |
| Katie Lockhart | Clarinet |
| Leo McFall | Piano |
| Kodo Osada | Piano |
| Christopher Parkes | French horn |
| Tom Poster | Piano |
| Nicholas Rimmer | Piano |
| Matthew Sadler | Trumpet |
| Rakhi Singh | Violin |
| Alexander Sitkovetsky | Violin |
| Helena Smart | Violin |
| Oliver Yates | Percussion |

#### 2002

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Henry Baldwin | Percussion |
| Angela Barnes | Horn |
| Katherine Bryan | Flute |
| Benjamin Bryant | Percussion |
| Stephen Burke | Percussion |
| Rowena Calvert | Cello |
| George Corbett | Cello |
| Simon Cosgrove | Saxophone |
| Colin Davis | Piano |
| Scott Foster | Percussion |
| Matthew Gee | Trombone |
| Emma Hancock | Violin |
| Edward Jones | Trombone |
| Patrick King | Percussion |
| Laura Lucas | Flute |
| Michael McHale | Piano |
| Leslie Neish | Tuba |
| Timothy Orpen | Clarinet |
| Thomas Osborne | Trumpet |
| Jennifer Pike† | Violin |
| Robert Scamardella | Piano |
| Andrew Shirtliff | Piano |
| Sarah Tandy | Piano |
| Litsa Tunnah | Violin |
| Sarah Williamson | Clarinet |

#### 2004

Finals for the 2004 competition took place on 2 May at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh and were televised on BBC Two. The trophy used for this year's competition was designed by John Rocha at Waterford Crystal.
| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Otis Beasley | Keyboard |
| Lucy Beeson | Percussion |
| Nicola Benedetti† | Violin |
| Elizabeth Chell | Horn |
| Sijie Chen | Violin |
| Adam Clifford | Percussion |
| Andrea Crossley | Percussion |
| Michal Cwizewicz | Violin |
| Elizabath Drury | Saxophone |
| Richard Elsworth | Percussion |
| Ashley Fripp | Keyboard |
| Christopher Gomersall | Trombone |
| Benjamin Grosvenor | Keyboard |
| Daniel De Gruchy-Lambert | Trumpet |
| Eddy Hackett | Percussion |
| Clare Hammond | Keyboard |
| Toni James | Keyboard |
| Catriona Mackinnon | Oboe |
| Christopher Pannell | Tenor horn |
| Paul Skinner | Flute |
| Peter Smith | Tuba |
| Ellen Hydref Thomas | Harp |
| Suzanne Thorn | Oboe |
| Tamsin Waley-Cohen | Violin |
| Adam Walker | Flute |

#### 2006

The 2006 finals were held at The Sage Gateshead on 20 May 2006. The adjudicators for this competition were Marin Alsop, Carlos Bonell, Peter Sadlo, Thea King, Sergei Nakariakov, Angela Hewitt and Kathryn McDowell.
| Name | Instrument | Performance | Notes |
| Toby Kearney | Percussion | Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (MacMillan) | Now a member of the Royal Northern College of Music, his childhood environment encouraged him to be involved in music |
| David Massey | Guitar | Fantasia para un Gentilhombre | Began guitar lesson at eight years old at the Mid Herts Music Centre, with current aspirations for a career involving music; is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, London |
| Huw Morgan | Trumpet | Trumpet Concerto (Tomasi) | Principal trumpet of the National Youth Orchestra, began learning piano and other instruments at five years of age |
| Mark Simpson† | Clarinet | Clarinet Concerto (Nielsen) | Winner of the 2006 competition, originally played the keyboard and recorder |
| Cordelia Williams | Piano | Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2 | Studied at Chetham's school for 7 years, and is currently studying at the Guildhall School in London. |
The semi-finalists that did not progress were, by category:
* Keyboard: Lydia Scadding, Kausikan Rajeshkumar, Melissa Gore and David Secchi
* Percussion: Katy Hebditch, Oliver Lowe, David Elliott and Daniel Jones
* Woodwind: Suzanne Thorn (oboe),Helen Wilson (flute), Emily Ross (oboe) and Harry Winstanley (flute)
* Brass: Stephen Sykes (trombone), Sasha Koushk-Jalali (tuba), Aledander Edmundson (French Horn) and Ryan Gray (euphonium)
* Strings: Meherban Gillett (double bass), Victoria Goldsmith (violin), Sarah Oliver (cello), David Massey (guitar) and Sophie Rosa (violin)

#### 2008

The 2008 finals took place at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on 10 and 11 May 2008. In celebration of thirty years of the competition broadcasting, the performances lasted for two days.
| Name | Hometown | Instrument | Notes |
| Anke Batty | Lyndhurst, Hampshire | Clarinet | Achieved Grade 8 distinction in Singing, Piano and Saxophone as well as playing the clarinet |
| Daniel Day | Hayfield | Percussion | Began playing percussion at the age of three after his father, a professional drummer bought him a drum set; currently studies at the Chetham's School of Music |
| Jadran Duncumb | Ski, Norway | Guitar | Two time winner of the Norwegian National Youth competition; began playing the Guitar at the age of ten |
| Alexander Edmundson | Lytham St Annes | French Horn | Began playing the French Horn at seven years of age after hearing Mozart's Horn Concert No 4.; he studies at Chetham's School of Music and is a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain |
| David Elliott | Bournemouth | Percussion | Began playing percussion at the age of three, and currently studies at the Trinity College of Music after studying at Chetham's School of Music for three years; he held the position of Co Principal in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain percussion section |
| Michael Foyle | Troon | Piano | Began playing piano at the age of six, and is also a violinist, he has led the National Children's Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain; currently studying at Wellington School |
| Sam Law | Ballymena | Piano | Began playing piano at the age of six, and now studies at the Ballymena Academy and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin |
| Henry Lindsay | Amersham | Tuba | Currently studying at The Purcell School of Music, the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music and is a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain |
| Cecilia Sultana De Maria | Warminster | Harp | Began playing the Harp at the age of ten while also playing the Piano and Violin, currently studies at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music |
| Erdem Misirlioğlu | Ipswich | Piano | Studying at the Northgate High School in Ipswich and the Junior Department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Jim Molyneux | Littleborough, Greater Manchester | Percussion | Started playing percussion at the age of seven and is studying at the Chetham's School of Music |
| Peter Moore† | Stalybridge | Trombone | Started to play the trombone at the age of six. Held the position of Principal Trombone of the National Children's Band of Great Britain; he is the youngest musician in this year's competition |
| Kausikan Rajeshkumar | Harrow, London | Piano | Began playing the piano at seven years of age, and currently Studies at The Purcell School of Music; he has received awards for composing, such as Highly Commended at BBC Proms Composers' Competition 2006 |
| Katherine Robb | Bushey | Violin | Started playing the Violin at eight after being offered free lessons in her school in Essex; she later became a student at The Purcell School of Music, and was the first violinist in the National Youth Orchestra for 2 years |
| Melanie Rothman | Carshalton | Oboe | Began playing the Oboe at the age of ten, and is studying at The Purcell School of Music, but also studies at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music and is Principal Oboe of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain after joining just one year previously |
| Jun Sasaki | London | Cello | Began playing the Violin at the age of four, but switched to the Cello at five; he currently studies at Yehudi Menuhin School |
| Joseph Shiner | East Brent, Somerset | Clarinet | Began playing the Clarinet at eight years of age; he has since achieved Principal Clarinet of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain after two years of membership |
| David Smith | Fife | Flute | Began playing the Flute in 2004, his influence being when he heard Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun; he studied at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh until 2008. He also plays the Saxophone very well |
| Delia Stevens | Normanton on Soar | Percussion | Studies at Loughborough High School and was influenced to play percussion after seeing the school orchestra performance |
| Matthew White | Bolton | Euphonium | Studies at Chetham's School of Music, and was Principal Euphonium with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain |

### 2010s
#### 2010

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Finlay Bain | French Horn |
| Frederic Bager | Piano |
| Tom Berry | Trombone |
| Glain Dafydd | Harp |
| Anne Denholm | Harp |
| Sophie Dee | Piano |
| Anna Douglass | French Horn |
| Chloé Greenwood | Oboe |
| Emma Halnan | Flute |
| Alex Hamilton | French Horn |
| John Hewitt-Jones | Viola |
| Lucy Landymore | Percussion |
| James Larter | Percussion |
| Sam Moffitt | Trumpet |
| HuiWai Nok | Percussion |
| Joe Norris | Clarinet |
| Lara Ömeroğlu† | Piano |
| Oliver Pooley | Percussion |
| Lavinia Redman | Oboe |
| Seán Morgan-Rooney | Piano |
| Katy Smith | Violin |
| Callum Smart | Violin |
| Delia Stevens | Percussion |
| Ben Westlake | Clarinet |
| Yuanfan Yang | Piano |

#### 2012

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Adam Boeker | Piano |
| Alexander Kelly | Bass Trombone |
| Charlotte Barbour-Condini | Recorder |
| Charlotte Cox | Bassoon |
| Christopher Dunn | Tuba |
| Cristian Grajner-De-Sa | Violin |
| Dominic Degavino | Piano |
| Elizabeth Tocknell | French Horn |
| Elzbieta Young | Trumpet |
| Hyun-gi Lee | Percussion |
| James Larter | Percussion |
| Joel Sandelson | Cello |
| Jonathan Bates | E flat Tenor Horn |
| Jordan Black | Clarinet |
| Julia Hwang | Violin |
| Juliette Roos | Violin |
| Laura Van Der Heijden† | Cello |
| Lucinda Dunne | Saxophone |
| Luke O'Toole | Flute |
| Martin James Bartlett | Piano |
| Molly Lopresti | Percussion |
| Peter Rayner | Percussion |
| Richard Rayner | Percussion |
| Victor Lim | Piano |
| Yuanfan Yang | Piano |

#### 2014
##### Classical Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Daniel Shao | Flute |
| Dogyung Anna Im | Violin |
| Elizaveta Tyun | Violin |
| Ellena Newton | Trombone |
| Elliott Gaston-Ross | Percussion |
| Hannah Foster | Flute |
| Hayley Parkes | Piano |
| Isata Kanneh-Mason | Piano |
| Isobel Daws | Trombone |
| Jess Gillam | Saxophone |
| Jess Wood | Percussion |
| Julian Trevelyan | Piano |
| Juliana Myslov | Harp |
| Lewis Bettles | Trombone |
| Martin James Bartlett† | Piano |
| Matilda Lloyd | Trumpet |
| Matthew Farthing | Percussion |
| Nick Seymour | Saxophone |
| Ning Hui See | Keyboard |
| Roberto Ruisi | Violin |
| Sophie Westbrooke | Recorder |
| Stefan Beckett | Percussion |
| Tom Highnam | Percussion |
| Will Thomas | Trumpet/Flugelhorn |
| William Dutton | Violin |

##### Jazz Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Alexander Bone† | Saxophone |
| Freddie Jensen | Double bass |
| Jake Labazzi | Trumpet |
| Sean Payne | Saxophone |
| Tom Smith | Saxophone |

#### 2016
##### Classical Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Andrew Woolcock | Percussion |
| Ben Goldscheider | Horn |
| Charlie Lovell-Jones | Violin |
| Gemma Riley | Trombone |
| Harvey Lin | Piano |
| Hristiyan Hristov | Percussion |
| Jackie Campbell | Piano |
| Jess Gillam | Saxophone |
| Joanne Lee | Flute |
| Joe Parks | Percussion |
| Joe Pritchard | Cello |
| Julian Trevelyan | Piano |
| Louisa Staples | Violin |
| Lucy Driver | Flute |
| Marie Sato | Flute |
| Matthew Brett | Percussion |
| Polly Bartlett | Recorder |
| Sam Dye | Trombone |
| Sheku Kanneh-Mason† | Cello |
| Stephanie Childress | Violin |
| Tom Pritchard | Percussion |
| Tomoka Kan | Piano |
| Yuanfan Yang | Piano |
| Zak Eastop | Trumpet |
| Zoe Perkins | Trumpet |

##### Jazz Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Alexandra Ridout† | Trumpet |
| Tom Ridout | Saxophone and Recorder |
| Tom Smith | Saxophone |
| Noah Stoneman | Piano |
| Elliott Sansom | Piano |

#### 2018
##### Classical Award

The 2018 finals were held at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on 13 May 2018. The judges were Kerry Andrew (chair), Alpesh Chauhan, Natalie Clein, John Harle and Sunwook Kim.
| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Adam Heron | Keyboard |
| Alexander Pullen | Percussion |
| Annemarie Federle | French Horn/Brass |
| Elias Ackerley | Keyboard |
| Eliza Haskins | Recorder/Woodwind |
| Elodie Chousmer-Howelles | Violin/Strings |
| Francis Bushell | Bassoon/Woodwind |
| Isobel Daws | Trombone/Brass |
| Jeneba Kanneh-Mason | Keyboard |
| Lauren Zhang† | Keyboard |
| Mariam Loladze-Meredith | Keyboard |
| Marie Sato | Flute/Woodwind |
| Matthew Brett | Percussion |
| Maxim Calver | Cello/Strings |
| Meadow Brooks | Percussion |
| Michaias Berlouis | Bass Trombone/Brass |
| Robert Burton | Saxophone/Woodwind |
| Sam Dye | Trombone/Brass |
| Stephanie Childress | Violin/Strings |
| Tom Hall | Percussion |
| Tom Myles | Clarinet/Woodwind |
| Toril Azzalini-Machecler | Percussion |
| Torrin Williams | Guitar/Strings |
| Will Duerden | Double Bass/Strings |
| Will Thomas | Trumpet+Flugelhorn/Brass |

##### Jazz Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Xhosa Cole† | Saxophone |
| Reuben Goldmark | Piano |
| Fergus McCreadie | Piano |
| James Owston | Bass |
| Seth Tackaberry | Bass |

### 2020s
#### 2020–21
##### Classical Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Alexander Pullen | Percussion |
| Alice Gore | Woodwind – Bassoon |
| Annemarie Federle | Brass – French Horn |
| Bridget Yee | Keyboard |
| Coco Tomita | Strings – Violin |
| Daisy Noton | Woodwind – Flute |
| Eliza Haskins | Woodwind – Recorder |
| Ellen Baumring-Gledhill | Strings – Cello |
| Ewan Millar | Woodwind – Oboe |
| Fang Zhang† | Percussion |
| Harvey Lin | Keyboard |
| Huw Boucher | Strings – Harp |
| Ilai Avni | Strings – Violin |
| Isaac Harari | Percussion |
| Jacky Zhang | Keyboard |
| Joseph Longstaff | Brass – French Horn |
| Lewis Kentaro Isaacs | Percussion |
| Marian Bozhidarov | Woodwind – Clarinet |
| Meggie Murphy | Brass – Trombone |
| Mio Takahashi | Strings – Violin |
| Rhydian Tiddy | Brass – Trombone |
| Sejin Yoon | Keyboard |
| Thomas Luke | Keyboard |
| Toril Azzalini-Machecler | Percussion |
| William Burton | Brass – Tuba |

##### Jazz Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Deschanel Gordon† | Piano |
| Alex Clarke | Saxophone |
| Kielan Sheard | Bass |
| Matt Carmichael | Saxophone |
| Ralph Porrett | Guitar |

#### 2022
##### Classical Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Aki Blendis | Strings - Violin |
| Alex Buckley | Woodwind - Clarinet |
| Clara-Sophia Wernig | Strings - Violin |
| Daniel Hibbert | Brass - French Horn |
| Dawid Kasprzak | Strings - Violin |
| Dida Condria | Keyboard |
| Duru Erdogan | Keyboard |
| Edward Walton | Strings - Violin |
| Eric Zhang | Percussion |
| Ethan Loch | Keyboard |
| Firoze Madon | Keyboard |
| Florence Wilson-Toy | Brass - Trumpet |
| George Garnett | Percussion |
| Imogen Moorsom | Brass - French Horn |
| Isaac Skey | Woodwind - Flute |
| Jacky Zhang | Keyboard |
| Jaren Ziegler | Strings - Viola |
| Jordan Ashman† | Percussion |
| Joshua Gearing | Percussion |
| Lucas Dick | Woodwind - Clarinet |
| Phoebe Mallinson | Brass - Trumpet |
| Sasha Canter | Brass - Trumpet |
| Sofía Patterson-Gutiérrez | Woodwind - Flute |
| Sophie Warner | Percussion |
| Thomas Priestley | Woodwind - Saxophone |

##### Jazz Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Ewan Hastie† | Double bass |
| Luke Bacchus | Piano |
| Nick Manz | Piano |
| Ralph Porrett | Guitar |
| Emma Rawicz | Saxophone |

#### 2024
##### Classical Award

Judging every televised round of this year's competition are trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench, and multi-instrumentalist and broadcaster Hannah Catherine Jones. The two quarter finals were won by Jamaal Kashim and Shlomi Shahaf respectively, with Hugo Svedberg, Jacky Zhang and Ryan Wang advancing to the semi-final as "wildcards". Zang, Wang and Shahaf were announced as the finalists.
| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Alasdair Cottee | Woodwind |
| Alicia Li-Yan-Hui | Woodwind |
| Defne Anar | Strings |
| Finn Anderson-Hendra | Strings |
| Hugo Svedberg | Strings |
| Jacky Zhang | Keyboard |
| Jamaal Kashim | Strings |
| Kaelyn Soh | Strings |
| Maya Broman Crawford-Phillips | Strings |
| Rose Gosney | Strings |
| Ryan Wang† | Keyboard |
| Shlomi Shahaf | Strings |

##### Jazz Award

| Name | Instrument/Category |
| Klara Devlin | Trumpet |
| Ursula Harrison† | Double bass |
| George Johnson | Saxophone |
| Nils Kavanagh | Piano |