Prizes
Melbourne Prize for Music 2025
$60,000
Supported by Major Patron, The Vera Moore Foundation and The Tallis Foundation.
This Prize will be awarded to a Victorian musician or group whose body of work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian music and to cultural life. Open to all music genres.
To be eligible for this category entrants must be a Victorian professional musician or group (performers or composers).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENTER THIS PRIZE
- Musicians or groups can apply for this Prize in their own right or be nominated by an agent or private individuals.
- Entrants MUST be a Victorian professional musician or group (performers or composer), an Australian citizen or permanent resident and a resident of the State of Victoria.
- All members of a group entry must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and a resident of the State of Victoria.
- Recordings of work are NOT required for this category.
- $1,000 (incl. GST) will be given to all runner up finalists, supported by Fed Square.
- A maximum of four (4) finalists will be announced on 4 September 2025 at melbourneprize.org
- The finalists in this category will be eligible for the Civic Choice Award 2025 – voting will open on this website on September 4.
- A digital catalogue of finalists will be available from 30 October on this website.
- The recipient of this Prize will be announced to the media and on this website on 13 November.
ENTRY MATERIAL REQUIRED
- A brief biography and resume including a summary of the musician’s (performer or composers) or group’s professional work.
- A proposal of how the Prize funds will be used to benefit the career of the entrant.
- Where an entry is by nomination, a commendation of the entrant must be provided by the nominator.
Click here to enter.
The Beleura John Tallis Award for Emerging Composers 2025
$20,000
Supported by The Tallis Foundation.
This Award will be given to a Victorian emerging composer to assist in developing their career as a composer. Open to all genres of composition.
To be eligible for this category entrants must be a Victorian professional composer.
This Award is in memory of John Tallis (1911–1996) – a distinguished composer who studied at the London Royal College of Music and wrote music for ballet. In 1995 he was Composer-of-Honour at Monash University’s Department of Music. His legacy lives on through his bequest of Beleura, his home on the Mornington Peninsula, to The Tallis Foundation, which is open to the public. Beleura has a performance space hosting music programs that celebrate contemporary Australian musicians.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENTER THIS PRIZE
- Entrants MUST be a Victorian professional musician or group (performers or composers), an Australian citizen or permanent resident and a resident of the State of Victoria.
- THERE ARE NO FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY.
- A winner will be selected by the judging panel and announced on 13 November on this website.
ENTRY MATERIAL REQUIRED
- A brief biography and resume including a summary of the musician’s (performer or composers) or group’s professional work.
- A proposal of how the Award funds will be used to benefit the career of the entrant.
- Where an entry is by nomination, a commendation of the entrant must be provided by the nominator.
- A recording of two recent compositions to be uploaded to the Entry Form.
Click here to enter.
Professional Development Award 2025
$10,000
Supported by Dr Alastair Jackson AM.
This Award will be given to a Victorian musician or group to fund a project/s, travel or other proposals to assist the entrant pursue their music career.
To be eligible for this category entrants must be a professional Victorian musician or group (performers or composers).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENTER THIS AWARD
- Entrants can apply for this Award in their own right or be nominated by an agent or private individuals.
- Entrants MUST be a Victorian professional musician or group (performers or composers), an Australian citizen or permanent resident and a resident of the State of Victoria.
- THERE ARE NO FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY.
- A winner will be selected by the judging panel and announced on 13 November on this website.
ENTRY MATERIAL REQUIRED
A brief biography and resume including a summary of the musician’s (performer or composers) or group’s professional work.
- An outline of how the Award funds will be used to benefit the career of the entrant.
- Where an entry is by nomination, a commendation of the entrant must be provided by the nominator.
Click here to enter.
Falls Creek Musicians
Residencies 2025
Falls Creek Alpine Resort has made available two 14-day residencies at the resort, which will be awarded to two Victorian musicians. A $1,000 fee will be made available to each recipient of this category, supported by the Melbourne Prize Trust.
The residencies are provided by Falls Creek Alpine Resort.
Click here to visit Falls Creek Alpine Resort’s Arts & Culture Strategy.
What you need to know to enter this prize
- Two 14-day residencies will be awarded to two musicians, which will include accommodation at Falls Creek, plus $1,000 (incl. GST) cash provided to each winner.
- The residencies will be available at Falls Creek for the summer, spring and autumn months.
- Entrants will need to demonstrate in their entry how the Falls Creek residency will be used and how it will benefit their music career.
- Entrants MUST be a Victorian professional musician or group (performers or composer), an Australian citizen or permanent resident and a resident of the State of Victoria.
- THERE ARE NO FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY.
- The two recipients will be announced on 13 November at melbourneprize.org. As part of the residency, each recipient will be invited to participate in cultural events at Falls Creek.
- The recipients will be able to discuss the timing of each residency with Falls Creek management.
Entry material required
- A brief biography and resume including a summary of the musician’s (performer or composers) or group’s professional work.
- How the residency at Falls Creek will benefit the career of the recipient.
Click here to enter.
Civic Choice Award 2025
$2,000
Supported by the Melbourne Prize Trust
This Award will be given to a finalist in the Melbourne Prize for Music 2025 with the highest number of public votes.
Votes can be made using the online Voting Form, which will be available at melbourneprize.org from the announcement of finalists on 4 September – voting closes on 12 November at 5pm.
Voters will have a chance to win a $100 gift voucher from Reading.
The winner of this Award will be announced on 13 November at melbourneprize.org
Past winners
2022
Missy Higgins
Melbourne Prize for Music 2022
Singer & Songwriter
Jess Hitchcock
Professional Development Award 2022
Performer
Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh
Beleura Emerging Composers Award 2022
Composer
Liza Lim
Civic Choice Award 2022
Composer
2019
Professor Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO
Melbourne Prize for Music 2019
Composer / Soprano / Artistic Director
Erkki Veltheim
Distinguished Musicians Fellowship 2019
Composer, Improviser, Performer
Andrea Keller
Beleura Emerging Composers Award 2019
Pianist & Composer
Mojo Juju
Development Award 2019
Vocalist, Songwriter, Musician
2016
Kutcha Edwards
Melbourne Prize for Music 2016
Distinguished Musicians
Fellowship 2016
Singer / Songwriter
Scott Tinkler
Outstanding Musician Award 2016
Trumpeter
Kate Neal
Beleura Award for Composition 2016
Composer / Arranger / Teacher / Artistic director / Collaborator
Matthias Schack-Arnott
Development Award 2016
Performer / Composer / Improviser
2013
Brett Dean
Melbourne Prize for Music 2013
Classical Composer / Conductor
Stephen Magnusson
Outstanding Musician Award 2013
Guitarist
Kate Kelsey-Sugg
Development Award 2013
Pianist / Vocalist / Saxophonist / Composer
2010
David Jones
Melbourne Prize for Music 2010
Drummer / Percussionist
Ben Northey
Outstanding Musician Award 2010
Conductor
Natalie Bartsch
Development Award 2010
Pianist / Composer
2007
Paul Grabowsky AO
Melbourne Prize for Music 2007
Pianist / Composer / Conductor
Genevieve Lacey
Outstanding Musician Award 2007
Recorder virtuoso
Julian Langdon
Development Award 2007
Composer