1 July 2025
Open Letter to the Ivors Academy

Dear Ivors Academy,

We want to express our grave concern regarding your decision to remove the Sound Art category from the Ivors Classical Awards.

When the category of Sonic Art (2008-2019) was renamed Sound Art in 2020, many sound practitioners working in this hybrid field felt great pride in being recognised by such an esteemed organisation. It also indicated that the Ivors were responding to modern trends and increasingly exploring more hybrid territories.

We believe it is crucial to recognise the central role that sound art—understood in its broadest sense—plays in shaping contemporary music practice. Removing this category risks narrowing the definition of what counts as classical music in the UK today. That is not only out of step with current practice, but also out of touch with the next generation of composers and artists working across disciplines.

The UK boasts a vibrant sound art community that has produced many innovative and groundbreaking works over the past decades.

We sincerely urge you to reconsider your decision and to reinstate the Sound Art category from 2026 onwards.

Sound Art Brighton.

223
signatures
203 verified
  1. Dr Kersten Glandien, academic / curator, Sound Art Brighton, Brighton
  2. Dr Olivia Louvel, Sound artist/Researcher, Sound Art Brighton, Brighton
  3. chris cutler, musician/author, london
  4. simon james, sound artist, simonsound, Hove
  5. Hannah Kemp-Welch, Artist, London
  6. Dr Louise Gray, writer/lecturer, The Wire, London
  7. Ali Donaldson, Writer, Hove & Saumur
  8. Caroline Kraabel, music creator, Ivors member (Jazz+ committee), ONe_Orchestra New, London
  9. Sound Arts UK, nationwide
  10. Dr Benjamin Tassie, Composer & Researcher, Sheffield
  11. Angus Carlyle, Academic, University of the Arts London, London
  12. Dr Emily Peasgood, Guildhall School of Music and Drama & Emily Peasgood Studio, Ramsgate
  13. Lore Lixenberg, Sound art/voice/musician, York University, London
  14. Katia Farn, organist, choir director, composer, st mary's parish church, handsworth, birmingham
  15. Yvette, Creative, Kent
  16. Dr Joe Inkpen, Musician/composer/educator, Margate
  17. Dr Mark Hanslip
  18. Una Lee, Artist
  19. Emma Margetson, Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound, University of Greenwich, London
  20. Amy Cunningham, academic and artist, University of Brighton, Brighton
...
163 more
verified signatures
  1. Alan Licht, author, musician, New York
  2. Christoph Cox, dean, professor, scholar, curator, The New School, New York
  3. Anna Braithwaite, Sound Artist, Folkestone
  4. Maria Chavez, Sound artist, NYC
  5. Milanas Brizinskas, Sound Artist, UAL, London
  6. Katie Anderson, Artist, Dumfries and Galloway
  7. Ecka Mordecai, Sound artist + technician, University of the arts London, London
  8. Jeanne-Marie Varain, artist/musician & producer, Avantgarde Schiphorst e.V., Schiphorst
  9. Bethan Prosser, Researcher, University of Brighton, Brighton
  10. Joanna Penso, Sound artist, London
  11. Hazel Reeves, Artist, Brighton
  12. Sebastiane Hegarty, Artist/Academic, Winchester
  13. shelley saunders, editing / writing, self-employed / various, London
  14. Catherine Clover, Artist, London
  15. Jo Ross, Associate Director, Oxford Contemporary Music, Oxford
  16. James Trice, Freelance audio producer, N/a, Brighton
  17. David de la Haye, Sound Recordist/Composer/Researcher, EcoSound CIC / Newcastle University, Durham
  18. Claudia Molitor, composer/sound artist, Brighton
  19. Annie Ruefenacht, sound artist, composer, University of the Arts Berne, Berne, Bern
  20. John Wynne, Artist and Emeritus Professor of Sound Art, London
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