The Ivors Academy has announced the 20^th Composer Awards nominees.

For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on classical composers.

In the Chamber Ensemble category, the nominees include Robin Haigh for “AESOP 2” for untrained recorder soloist and 13 players and electronics; “Laurence Osborn for Essential Relaxing Classical Hits” for solo soprano and six players; Brett Dean’s  “Madame Ma Bonne Soeur” for mezzo-soprano and string quartet; and instrumental pieces by Alex Paxton (“Music for Bosch People”) and Oliver Leith (“The Big House”).

In the Choral category, the nominees are Ken Hesketh (“Carmina Tempore Viri”), Kristina Arakelyan (“Seascapes”), Cecilia McDowall (“There is No Rose”), and Joanna Marsh who received two nominations for “All Shall be Well” and “A Short Story of Falling.”

In the Community and Participation category, which honors works for voluntary, amateur, and youth performers, nominees included “Daylighting,” a community opera by Louise Drewett with a libretto by Clare Shaw; “Derri Joseph Lewis’ “Something Exciting” for SSAATB choir; John Barber and Jessica Duchen’s youth opera “The Selfish Giant;” and choral work “When a Child is Witness – Requiem for Refugees” by Liz Dilnot Johnson.

Vocal nominees in the Large Ensemble category include Laura Bowler’s “Houses Slide” for “cycling soprano,” and Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s “Scenes from the Wild” for tenor and chamber orchestra.

Vocal nominees in the Small Chamber category include “Fantasie di Strani e Dolci Misteri della Parola” by James Weeks for mezzo-soprano and violin; Laurence Crane’s “Natural World” for soprano and piano; Hannah Kendall’s “Rosalind” for soprano, baritone, and piano; and Lara Agar’s “This Unquiet Autumn” for soprano and piano.

Una Lee’s “Down Gone;” Hannah Conway’s “The Sound Voice Project: Paul, I Left My Voice Behind and Tanja;” Kathy Hinde’s “Earthquake Mass Re-Imagined;” and Emily Peasgood’s “Beacons” were nominated in the Sound Art category.

And finally, in the stage works category, the opera nominees included Thomas Adès’ “Dante,” John Wallace’s “Opsnizing,” Edward Jessen’s “Syllable,” John Casken’s “The Shackled King,” and Freya Waley-Cohen’s “Witch.”