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How to apply for an Award

The online application portal for AYM’s Awards programme will open in January 2020.

The application deadline will be Monday 27 April 2020 with Awards announced in June/July 2020.

Revised application guidelines will be published in January 2020. The information below can be used as a guide in the meantime. If you have any questions please give us a call on 0300 302 0023 or complete the Awards enquiry form at the bottom of this page. Please note that the AYM office will be closed from Friday 20 December to 6 January 2020.

Eligibility criteria

Age

Living and studying in the UK

The young musician must be living and studying in the United Kingdom and satisfy one of the following residency conditions:

The young person is a British Citizen or has been resident in the British Islands for the past three years
The young person is a national of a member state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and is the child of a migrant worker;
The young person is a refugee or the child of a refugee who has not been ordinarily resident outside the British Islands since being recognised as a refugee or granted leave to enter or remain in the British Islands.

Instruments

Genre

Exceptional musical talent/potential

We look for evidence of exceptional musical talent/potential. Our Awards programme is not aimed at beginner-level musicians, nor do we expect all applicants to have taken top-level grades or be members of national ensembles. We understand that everyone is on their own musical journey. Our application questions have been been designed to discover the strengths of each young musician.

As part of the application we will ask you to upload an audition video of the young person playing their instrument(s). Support and guidance for producing a video is provided.

Financial need

AYM fundraise continuously in order to be able to provide as many Awards as possible. Our funds are limited and, in line with our charitable objectives, we must prioritise applicants demonstrating the greatest financial need in addition to musical talent/potential. Our Awards Programme is means-tested. Our eligibility threshold is modelled on the lower level threshold employed by the Government's Music and Dance scheme. This looks at the annual, gross, family income of the home in which the young person mainly lives and takes into account the number of dependent children within that household. The following guidelines may help you decide whether to progress with an application:

Your gross annual family income is £30,000 or under: you are likely to be eligible to apply
Your gross annual family income is between £30,000 - £40,000: you may be eligible to apply, depending on the number of dependent children within the household
Your gross annual family income is above £40,000: it is unlikely that you will be eligible to apply for funding.

What we can fund

We can assist with

AYM will only help with the following items in exceptional circumstances:

Holiday music courses: We will only support the cost of a holiday course if it offers specific training that the young musician could not otherwise access.

Ensemble membership fees: Where the ensemble offers specific training that the young musician could not otherwise access and where the ensemble do not provide their own bursary scheme.

Computer software: We will only support the purchase of computer software when there is clear evidence that the software will support the musical progression of the young person, for example if they are studying composition or music production.

AYM cannot help with:

Frequently asked questions

How much can I apply for?

What are the benefits of being an Award winner?

As well as providing financial assistance AYM aims to support Award winners by providing advice, guidance and access to a range of music making, mentoring and performance opportunities throughout the Award year. An annual highlight is our Awards Day when all our Award winners are invited to come together for an inspiring day of cross-genre music making with the best musicians in the industry. We’ve worked with some incredible partners including the Hallé Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Previous venues include the Royal Welsh College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Trinity College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire, The Sage Gateshead and Maida Vale Studios.

I have previously applied, am I allowed to apply again?

Can I ask for help with more than one musical cost?

Can I apply for help with higher education fees?

Can I apply for more than one of my children?

Can I complete one application to cover more than one child?

Do I need more than one account to apply for more than one child?

Can someone who is not the parent or carer make an application for a young musician?

Ideally an application should be completed by the parent(s)/carer(s) of the young musician. AYM recognises that in some situations it is not feasible for parents to support their child in applying for an Award. Schools, music institutions or other agencies may apply on behalf of a young musician if they have made their own assessment that the young person demonstrates financial need. AYM will require the parents/carers of the applicant to provide evidence of their financial situation should a conditional Award offer be made.

Will the young musician need to audition?

If I am successful, how will you pay me my Award?

If I am successful, when can I claim my Award?

Making an application

If you think the young person meets the eligibility criteria please do following, once we open for applications in January 2020.

1. Register for an account or log back into your existing account on our application portal. (We'll provide a link in January).
2. Complete an eligibility questionnaire. This can be completed on a computer, mobile phone, tablet or any other device.

After successfully passing the eligibility stage, you'll be asked to:
1. Answer a number of application questions about the young person's music making
2. Send us a a short audition video
3. Request recommendations from the young person's instrumental teacher(s), school and an optional additional musical recommendation

AYM will provide an offline version of the application form upon request, should completing an online form be a barrier to applying.

Got a specific question?

If you have a specific question about applying for an Award please complete the query form below.

Fill out my online form.

How to apply for an Award

Eligibility criteria

What we can fund

Frequently asked questions

Got a specific question?

Visit the application portal

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