Originally known as the W T Best Scholarship, the Award for Organists was established in 1956 and endowed by John Mewburn Levien (Court Member 1933-1934) in memory of W T Best (1825-1897), a renowned organist of his day, to provide financial assistance to a young organist showing "exceptional promise as executant, composer, transcriber or writer" for a maximum of three years. The Runner-Up is awarded the F.E.Smith prize (Click Here).
Past Recipients:
1957-59 Christine Waple
1960-62 Susan Landale
1963-64 Stuart Bedford
1965-67 Timothy Robert Warwick Farrell
1968-70 David Bruce-Payne
1971-73 Stephen John Cleobury
1974-76 Carys Mon Hughes
1977-79 Jonathan Stephen Holmes
1980 John Scott
1981-82 Jane Watts
1983-85 Andrew Lucas
1986-88 David Liddle
1989 No award made
1990-92 Stephen Farr
1993-95 David Goode
1996 Mathew Owens
1996-97 Neil Cockburn
1999-01 Simon Bell
2002 Clive Driskill-Smith
2002-3 Jonathan Scott
2005-06 Francesca Massey
2005 Ashley Grote
2008-11 David Newsholme
2012-13 No award made
2014-16 Freddie James - click here for more information
2017-19 Alexander Pott - click here for more information
2023 Charles Maxtone-Smith
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