NMC Recordings Wins RPS Gamechanger Award 2025

In the citation, the RPS said:

‘This year’s recipient is new music’s national treasure. It’s a small organisation that gives a vital voice and visibility to composers, putting the creative forces behind the music in the limelight. It opens the ears of millions of music-lovers each year to thrilling sounds and new discoveries.

NMC Recordings has changed the game for composers and for audiences worldwide. A record label and a charity, NMC was founded in the 1980s by composer Colin Matthews. His vision was to remedy the lack of living British and Irish composers in record catalogues of the time. Central to this was support from the Holst Foundation, set up by Imogen Holst to ensure royalties from her father’s estate would support living composers.

In the years since, NMC’s catalogue has grown to 300 albums featuring more than 475 composers. Its partnership with Music Masters introduces young musicians to a range of talented creative minds. Collaborations with National Youth Choir and the Philharmonia nurture early-career composers. Rising stars are given their essential first portrait album through the coveted Debut Disc series, and established voices are amplified through seminal recordings of pioneering works.

Those who know NMC will already be devoted followers. For those discovering NMC tonight, there’s a wealth of exceptional music to awaken your senses and stir your soul. Where else can you hear landmark recordings like Harrison Birtwistle’s opera The Mask of Orpheus, explore contemporary voices in the award-winning NMC Songbook, or immerse yourself in Chineke!’s dazzling Spark Catchers… Where else would you discover Letting The Light In by Sarah Lianne Lewis, recipient of tonight’s Chamber-Scale Composition Award, on the first commercial album to showcase disabled composers working in the UK…

Composers have powerful voices that deserve to be heard beyond the concert hall. NMC gives audiences a unique portal into the world-class creativity of British and Irish composers. Thanks to NMC, millions can listen to such talents on streaming services whenever they choose, in physical formats and in radio broadcasts. Astoundingly, 80% of these listeners are based outside the UK. And NMC’s unique policy means each recording remains permanently accessible as a living archive of ground-breaking musical riches.’

Sir Simon Rattle, conductor and NMC Patron said:

‘I'm thrilled to hear that NMC has won the Gamechanger award this year because that's what they've been over all these years.  They're making our art form live and breathe in a most spectacular way.’ 

Cathy Graham OBE, NMC's Executive Director said:

‘It is impossible to overstate just how much it means to all of us at NMC to receive the Royal Philharmonic Society Gamechanger Award.  To be recognised by the prestigious RPS Council and Board in this extraordinary way and to take our place alongside so many exceptional RPS award recipients, past and present, is an honour.  We thank our nominators who have shown such belief in us; we thank everyone who has contributed to NMC’s work over the last 36 years, staff, board members, funders, supporters and partners; and we thank all our composers for their inspirational music without which we would not exist.  Our world is changing and the challenges to the sector are manifold. This award gives us the encouragement and the confidence to continue to meet those challenges and take the organisation to greater heights.’

Colin Matthews, Founder and Executive Producer of NMC Recordings said:

‘Who would have believed back in 1989 that NMC would still be going strong 36 years later, with a catalogue of almost 500 composers? I am so proud of everything the label has miraculously achieved over the years with just a small but dedicated team of staff. There is still so much that we want to do and despite the challenges of the industry I have confidence that we will continue to thrive.’