I am absolutely thrilled that my piece On Common Ground has been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in the Sonic Arts category of The Ivors Composer Awards. On Common Ground includes the voices of women from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp which existed from 1981 for almost twenty years at the site of the former military base at Greenham Common. Accounts of living at the Peace Camp by Jenny Hammond, Joelle Taylor, Anna Scott Hayward and Lynette Edwell are woven together with field recordings from the Common into a composition that explores the relationship between the women and the landscape. It was fantastic to meet these women and record their stories and an extraordinary experience to be able to bring their voices back to the site.

Information about The Ivors Awards is below.

The Ivors Composer Awards sees the presentation of Ivor Novello Awards to recognise creative excellence in classical, jazz, and sound arts. Recognised as a pinnacle of achievement since they were first presented in 1956, an Ivor Novello Award represents peer recognition with categories judged by those within the UK music creator community. The Ivors Composer Awards are sponsored by PRS for Music. The awards presentation is in association with BBC Radio 3 providing exclusive broadcast coverage.

There are five nominated works in the Sound Art category, which recognises non-concert format, sound art works, including installations, sculptural, electroacoustic and audience-interactive works.

Due to the pandemic we are unable to hold our usual awards ceremony at the British Museum. Instead we’re delighted that winners will be announced exclusively on BBC Radio 3 during a dedicated broadcast on Tuesday 1 December from 7.30pm to 10pm.