UK's Paul Hamlyn Foundation Awards £1 Million to Composers & Visual Artists

Amid a difficult year, the foundation quadrupled the number of artists who would receive its no-strings-attached grant

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation — a London-based foundation that aims to use its resources to support social change and help people enjoy fulfilling, creative lives — announced the winners of its annual Awards for Artists on July 29.

Awards for Artists typically support five visual artists and five composers with £60,000, no strings attached, to give them the "freedom to develop their creative ideas" and contribute "to their personal and professional growth," according to the foundation's website.

This year, however, due to the loss of financial opportunities for many artists amid the pandemic, the foundation decided to support more artists with the grant by giving out a total of £1 million — £25,000 to each of 20 visual artists and 20 composers.

"This was a wonderful opportunity to support creative musicians through a desperate and difficult time, when venues have been shut, and commissions lost," said Joanna MacGregor CBE, chair of the composers judging panel. "Our composers are drawn from the worlds of jazz, classical, folk and experimental music; all of them are influential and inspirational."

Since the first iteration of the foundation's Awards for Artists in 1994, 347 artists have received a total of £9.3 million. There is no open application process for the grant, as participants in the competition are chosen by invitation only.

The composers who won this year's award specialize in a range of genres, including classical, experimental, jazz, and folk.

Here is a list of this year's composition winners (only 17 are listed, as three winners chose to remain anonymous):

• Yazz Ahmed
  
• Auclair
  
• Shirley Collins
  
• Tom Coult
  
• Jayne Dent
• Tim Garland
• Simon Holt
• Soweto Kinch
• Cassie Kinoshi
• Ryan Latimer
• Cassandra Miller
• Aidan O’Rourke
• Sophya Polevaya
• Rowan Rheingans
• Abel Selaocoe
  
• Joe Snape
• James B Wilson

Unfortunately, according to a UK music survey, over a third of musicians have considered leaving the industry during the pandemic.