BBC YOUNG MUSICIAN 2026

BBC Young Musician, the long-running and much-loved biennial competition that celebrates the UK’s most promising classical music young performers, is now open for entries for the 2026 edition.

Previous winners and alumni include Sheku Kanneh-Mason (2016), saxophonist Jess Gillam (2016), violinist Nicola Benedetti (2004), pianist Benjamin Grosvenor (2004), pianist Martin James Bartlett (2014), and cellist Laura van der Heijden (2012). The winner of the 2024 competition was pianist Ryan Wang.

To enter the competition, musicians aged 18 and under (entrants must be born on or after 1 September 2007) must submit a 10-minute video, which will be scored and ranked by expert judges. From the initial entries, up to 40 applicants will progress to live auditions.

The quarter final will feature eight musicians, with five proceeding to the semi final, and three to the grand final. For the first time in the history of the competition, the winner will receive recording and broadcast opportunities on BBC Radio 3.

The closing date for applicants to submit a video entry is 1 December 2025, with digital audition judging taking place in December 2025 and January 2026, and live auditions in late February and early March 2026. The quarter final and semi-final will be held in July 2026. Taking place in October 2026 at Bristol Beacon, the grand final will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in autumn 2026.

More information HERE
(Arts Council of Wales)