Awards programme

We are no longer accepting applications to our 2020 Awards programme except for those applying for an AYM/Milapfest Award for Classical Indian Music.

If you applied for a 2020 Award you will receive a response from AYM in late June/early July.

We will next be accepting applications from January 2021.

Go to the application portal

What we fund

We aim to provide bespoke support that matches the aspirations and needs of the individual young musician. We consider a wide variety of musical costs and take a broad view of what a musical cost is. There are a number of things to bear in mind when deciding what to apply for help with and a few things that we cannot fund, so please read this guidance carefully.

We like to support musical costs that are key to the young person's musical development. So, think carefully about what they most need at this point in their musical journey. What is holding them back from progressing or achieving their full potential? What opportunities are at risk of stopping without financial input?

For example, a young musician may need support with one of the following:

paying for music lessons or covering the travel costs in order to get to their lessons
buying or renting an important piece of equipment such as an instrument or computer
accessing suitable rehearsal space or making adaptions in order to be able to practise at home, e.g. by purchasing noise dampeners for loud instruments
adapting an instrument or purchasing accessories in order to meet a physical need, or to overcome an access barrier, e.g. purchasing a light-weight instrument case
covering costs associated with protecting their health when making music, e.g. purchasing hearing protection for drummers
paying for courses, exams or audition fees

AYM are not able support any of the following:

Reimbursements for items already purchased
Settling the balance on items paid for on credit
Academic school fees (we will help with Saturday music school fees)
Costs associated with higher education
Foreign ensemble tours
International travel for masterclasses or courses
Any costs payable to companies or individuals outside the UK.

There are some costs, such as paying for residential courses during school holidays, or ensemble/orchestra fees, which AYM will only fund if:

The organisation providing the opportunity is not able to support the cost of the place through their own bursary scheme (please note that we have agreed with the NYOGB and NCOGB that AYM will not help with their fees, for this reason).
The opportunity provides access to specific training or expertise that the young musician could not gain elsewhere.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for a 2020 Award from AYM young musicians should:

Be aged 5-17 on 31 August 2020

Be 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.

Be able to demonstrate exceptional musical talent/potential on their chosen instrument(s) or in their chosen medium (e.g. music production).

AYM support all genres. The young person does not have to be taking part in formal music education (e.g. having regular lessons) but must be able to demonstrate strong technical ability. As part of the application we will ask for a video of the young person performing, or an example of a composition or recorded track (for composers and producers).

Digital instruments, including computers (for producers) are considered instruments.

AYM is not able to support costs directly associated with vocal studies, e.g. singing lessons or choir fees.

Be able to evidence financial need in line with the following guidelines

AYM fundraise continuously in order to be able to provide as many Awards as possible but our funds are limited. In line with our charitable objectives we must prioritise applicants demonstrating the greatest financial need in addition to musical talent.

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.

For the 2020 round we will make our assessment based on household family income for the period April 2018 to March 2019.

Frequently asked questions

When can I apply?

How much can I apply for?

What instruments and genres do you support?

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?

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?

I am not the applicant's parent or carer but I would like to make an application on their behalf, can I?

Where possible applications should be completed by the parent/carer 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 in July 2020.

If you think the young person meets the eligibility criteria please do the following:

1. Register for an account or log back into your existing account on the application portal.
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. Submit an audition video or composition.
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.

Have 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.

Awards programme

What we fund

Eligibility criteria

Frequently asked questions

Have a specific question?

Take a look back at our 2018 Awards Day with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Impact

Annual Awards: Poppy’s story