Paul Lowin Prizes Winners 2025
The winners of the 2025 Paul Lowin Orchestral and Song Cycle Prizes were announced last night at a private event in Sydney (Gadigal).
The Paul Lowin Song Cycle Prize ($15,500), recognising excellence in Australian compositions for voices and chamber ensemble, was awarded jointly to Dr Lou Bennett AM and Paul Stanhope for Nyilamum Song Cycles.
The Paul Lowin Orchestral Prize ($30,000), recognising excellence in composition for modern chamber or symphony orchestra, was awarded to James Ledger for The Last Thing.
The Paul Lowin Orchestral and Song Cycle prizes are two of Australia’s most prestigious awards for music composition.
Selected through a blind assessment process, the shortlisted works were recognised for their excellence in compositional technique and contribution to the repertoire. In the spirit of the competition, the Paul Lowin Prizes celebrate Australian composers whose works demonstrate the depth, complexity and diversity of Australian art music.
The 2025 award presentation was held in conjunction with the annual Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address, delivered this year by AMC Board Chair Marshall McGuire.
The event was filmed, with recordings to be made publicly available soon.
Previous recipients of the Paul Lowin Orchestral Prizes include Nigel Westlake, Lachlan Skipworth, Mary Finsterer and Liza Lim. Previous recipients of the Paul Lowin Song Cycle Prize include Katy Abbott, Brett Dean and Rosalind Page.
Main photo (L-R): Catherine Haridy, Paul Stanhope, Drew Bourgeois. Photography by New Point of View.
