The winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Music Awards 2017 were announced in a ceremony at London’s Brewery on 9 May and ABRSM were delighted to sponsor the Learning and Participation Award. The winners of the award were The South-West Open Youth Orchestra, the UK’s only disabled-led regional youth orchestra, who empower young disabled musicians in the South-West to build inclusive youth orchestras. Delivered in partnership with the internationally renowned British Paraorchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Bristol Music Trust, SWOYO challenge expectations and forge new progression routes through the creation of great music. The RPS Awards recognise outstanding musical achievement across the UK in 2016, with projects, artists and organisations from across the UK receiving accolades. ‘This year’s RPS Music Award winners take no prisoners, united in their excellence and their commitment to removing barriers to listening or participation in classical music,’ said RPS chair John Gilhooly. ‘The awards celebrate live music of extraordinary quality and ambition, taking place across the width and breadth of the country (closer to home than many might think). I’d urge those who have yet to experience its multifarious pleasures to get out there and listen and make music, in the moment, of the moment. Live Music Is… more vibrant than ever.’ A special programme dedicated to the RPS Music Awards, featuring highlights from the ceremony, interviews and music, will be broadcast on Radio 3 at 7.30pm on 14 May. For further information about the event and the winners on the night please click here.