Special Awards

The Festival is delighted to award a number of special prizes to participating choirs.

The special awards will be announced at the Closing Gala Concert & Award Ceremony on the final night of the festival – Sunday 26 October.

• Bernadette Kelly Memorial award for most promising school choir
• Bishops Daly & Mehaffey award, presented by the Inner City Trust, for an outstanding performance in the school competitions
• Sing Ireland Conducting Scholarship for the most promising conductor in the national competitions or a participant in the conducting masterclasses
• Contemporary Music Centre award for the best performance of a piece by a composer from Ireland. Only choral works found in the CMC’s online library will be eligible for consideration.
• Derry City and Strabane District Council award for outstanding contribution to the festival
• Bishop’s Gate Hotel award for an outstanding performance of a work composed before 1750 in the International Competition
• City Hotel award for the conductor of the most interesting and varied programme in the International Competition
• Visit Derry award for an outstanding competitive or non-competitive performance by a first-time participant