Aspiring composers aged 12–18 are invited to enter the BBC Young Composer competition.
The competition is open to young people from all backgrounds and all levels of technical ability. Applicants may write in any musical genre and use any instruments or compositional methods of their choice.
Entries will be judged in three categories, according to age on 1 July 2025: Lower Junior (ages 12–14), Upper Junior (ages 15–16), and Senior (ages 17–18). Compositions will be evaluated on their originality, creativity, and compositional ideas. The jury is still to be announced.
Six winners will receive a place on a tailored development programme, where they will be mentored by a professional composer and work on a composing project; this will culminate in a live performance or broadcast opportunity with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Recent alumni have gone on to secure major commissions with the BBC Proms, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, and the BBC Concert Orchestra.
The deadline to submit entries online is 4pm on Thursday 25 September. The winners will be announced on the BBC Young Composer website by Monday 8 December 2025.
BBC Young Composer is a biennial competition that seeks to discover, nurture, and showcase young musical talent from across the UK. Since its inception in 1998 has provided a platform for hundreds of young creators to pursue their musical and professional ambitions.
For more information on how to enter, including the competition's Rules, Privacy Notice and extra composition resources for both teachers and young people, visit bbc.co.uk/youngcomposer.
