[2] Its patrons include Dame Evelyn Glennie and Armando Iannucci and it was founded by British composer Julian Leeks.

[3] Its first major project was “The Composing Club” which visited schools in disadvantaged areas around Bristol and Bath.

[6] Composers, including Steve Reich, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Nico Muhly, Graham Fitkin, Sadie Harrison, Gavin Bryars, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Michael Ellison, John Pickard, Geoff Poole, Howard Skempton, Sally Beamish and Julian Leeks waived their commission fees and contributed specially written works which were then recorded by members of The Bristol Ensemble in lockdown.

[8] The album, called Reflections, was released on 8 December 2021 exactly one year after Margaret Keenan from the UK became the first person in the world to receive a Covid 19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial.

With the 2020 and 2021 competition being cancelled due to the pandemic, the current holder of the prize is Jasper Eaglesfield who won with the piece “Birthday Letters.