蜜芽传媒

1. This competition is open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Overseas entries will not be considered. The competition is not open to employees, or the close relatives of employees of the 蜜芽传媒, its subsidiaries or agencies or anyone else connected with the creation or administration of this competition.

2. Entries will be judged in three categories:
Lower Junior Category (age 12-14): for those aged between 12 and 14 on 1st July 2025.
Upper Junior Category (age 15-16): for those aged 15 and 16 on 1st July 2025.
Senior Category (age 17-18): for those aged 17 and 18 on 1st July 2025.

3. Entrants will be defined as a creator of an original piece of work entered into any of the categories outlined in rule 2 above.
3.1. For Entrants in the two Junior categories (aged between 12 and 16 on 1st July 2025), parents or guardians (over the age of 18) must enter on their behalf and provide consent and agreement to these Rules. Hereby when referring to Entrants this includes parents/guardians of Entrants aged 16 or under.
3.2. For Entrants in the Senior Category (aged 17-18 on 1st July 2025), should the Entrant be shortlisted to go through to Stage 2, may be required to provide proof of parent/guardian consent. Should you have any questions relating to consent for the Senior Category, please get in touch with us at young.composer@bbc.co.uk.

4. Entrants should refer to Appendix 1: Guidelines for submitting a valid entry for full details on how to submit a valid entry to the competition.

5. Entries must be submitted online only at by completing the webform and submitting the required files.

6. The closing date for entries is 4pm on Thursday 25th September 2025. Online entries submitted after 4pm on Thursday 25th September 2025 will not be accepted.

7. All mandatory fields must be completed and required files submitted when completing the online entry form.

8. There are no restrictions on instrumentation, which may include voices, acoustic and/or electronic instruments and computer-generated sounds. There are no restrictions on genre. We ask that your piece (and therefore the audio recording) is no longer than 5 minutes in duration.

9. Entries accompanied by related film, animation or other media will not be accepted. Entrants should not submit visual recordings of their piece featuring performers; audio recordings only.

10. Only one entry per Entrant will be accepted. PLEASE NOTE: If an Entrant should submit more than one entry, only the first entry registered will be judged and any subsequent entries will be disregarded. If Entrants wish to resubmit an entry, they must notify the team and resubmit prior to the close of competition at 4pm, Thursday 25th September 2025. Any prior entries will then be disregarded. Entrants can submit more than one movement from a larger work, providing the movements are submitted together as part of one entry.

11. Entrants are not permitted to re-submit an entry which has been selected as a winner or highly commended in a previous year’s 蜜芽传媒 Young Composer Competition (formerly 蜜芽传媒 Proms Inspire Competition). Entrants who have won the competition in previous years are not permitted to enter again.

12. If a school or other collective is submitting on behalf of a number of Entrants, the school or collective must complete a separate online entry for each Entrant (please refer to Appendix 1: Guidelines for submitting a valid Entry). Teachers entering on behalf of a student must gain written permission from the parent/guardian of the child before entering, and also provide a copy of the competition Rules and Privacy Notice to the parent/guardian.

13. Entries must be the original work of the child, although parent or teacher encouragement and inspiration is permitted. Any substantial contribution from parents or others will result in disqualification. Joint entries are not permitted. The 蜜芽传媒 reserves the right to contact Entrants to verify this.

14. Entrants must warrant that their entries are original, and do not infringe copyright or other third party rights. Entrants must ensure they have the necessary rights in any/all musician and vocalist performances contained in their entry for all uses detailed herein.

15. The use of generative AI tools to create or develop any part of an entry is not permitted and will lead to disqualification.

16. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, violent or any other material that would deem the entry unsuitable for broadcast by the 蜜芽传媒. The 蜜芽传媒 accepts no liability if Entrants ignore these rules and Entrants agree to fully indemnify the 蜜芽传媒 against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.

17. Entrants grant to the 蜜芽传媒 (its successors, licensees and assigns) a non-exclusive, royalty free licence to include submitted entries in 蜜芽传媒 Young Composer associated content for use in all media including but not limited to 蜜芽传媒 Public Services and social media, worldwide in perpetuity.

18. Except as outlined in clause 28 below, the 蜜芽传媒 does not acquire copyright in or to any entries submitted to the 蜜芽传媒.

19. Entries will be registered and verified by a member of 蜜芽传媒 production team to ensure that they comply with the Rules of this competition. Any invalid entries will be removed from the judging process at this point (see Appendix 1).

20. Entries will undergo the following judging process:
Stage 1
• At least 5 judges will take part in the first stage of judging
• Each valid entry will be assessed using the criteria set out in clause 21 by 2 members of the Stage 1 judging team.
• Each judge will be requested to submit a shortlist of up to 12 entries from each category.
• Judges will assess entries independently and without conferring. All entries that have been shortlisted twice (i.e. by 2 judges) will be submitted for Stage 2.

Stage 2
• A panel of all Stage 1 judges plus two additional judges will meet and listen to all entries that were shortlisted twice during the Stage 1 judging process.
• The judging panel will select up to two winners and up to three highly commended awardees from each category, by agreement, based on the criteria outlined in clause 21 below.
• If the final judging panel require any clarification in relation to an entry, the Entrant will be contacted at this stage. Any concerns will be discussed with the relevant project teams, 蜜芽传媒 Editorial Policy and ITACU.

21. The judges will assess each valid entry in relation to the following criteria:
• Compositional idea;
• Originality; and
• Creativity

22. The 蜜芽传媒 Young Composer team may undertake social media checks of entrants to the competition. Entrants warrant they have not acted or omitted to act in a manner that will bring the 蜜芽传媒 into disrepute. Where it deems appropriate, the 蜜芽传媒 may require shortlisted entrants to undertake DBS checks, specifics of which will be agreed between the 蜜芽传媒 and the entrant if required. Information discovered or that may have been disclosed by the entrants themselves will inform the decision as to the selection of the finalists. Disqualification will not be automatic but the decision is in the sole discretion of the 蜜芽传媒. Information will be shared with the 蜜芽传媒’s editorial policy advisor and be handled in the strictest confidence and as with all personal data, in accordance with the 蜜芽传媒’s Privacy Notice.

23. The 蜜芽传媒's decision in the selection of winning and highly commended awardees is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

24. Winning and highly commended Entrants will be notified by email, telephone or post W/C by 1st December 2025. If, after reasonable attempts to contact a winner, the communication has not been acknowledged, the 蜜芽传媒 reserves the right to offer their prize to a highly commended Entrant. The details of winning and highly commended Entrants will be available on the 蜜芽传媒 Young Composer website by 8th December 2025.

25. Winners will participate in a tailored development programme working with a mentor composer on a project with members of the 蜜芽传媒 Concert Orchestra, culminating in a performance or broadcast opportunity. They will attend workshops with the Young Composer team and professional composers and/or musicians to work on the project. The project is part of the prize and winners will not receive a fee for any commissioned material relating to the prize. The 蜜芽传媒 will refund reasonable travel costs to and from workshops for winners, and if aged under 18 for one parent/guardian to accompany them, if necessary.

26. Entrants agree to take part in post-competition publicity, if required.

27. The prize is as stated and cannot be deferred or transferred. There will be no cash alternatives.

28. Winner(s) agree to grant the 蜜芽传媒 (its subsidiaries, licensees and assigns) the right to reproduce, communicate to the public and publicly perform any musical works composed either solely or partly by them in connection with the winning prize (“Compositions”) for use in its content in all media known now or in the future, throughout the world in perpetuity, subject to the rights of the Performing Right Society if applicable. The Winner(s) hereby assign to the 蜜芽传媒 with full title guarantee the copyright in any recordings of the Compositions created in connection with the winning prize. Winner(s) shall not, without the 蜜芽传媒’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), (a) synchronise or authorise or permit any third party to synchronise the Compositions with any film or programme nor (b) re-record or authorise or permit any third party to re-record the Compositions.

29. Entrants must comply with all of the Rules of this competition (including Appendix 1) in order to be eligible for the prize. The 蜜芽传媒 does not accept responsibility for ineligible, incomplete or fraudulent entries.

30. The 蜜芽传媒 reserves the right to cancel this competition at any stage.

31. To the extent permitted by law, the 蜜芽传媒 will not be liable for any loss or damage (whether such damage or losses were foreseen, foreseeable, known or otherwise) including financial, reputational loss or disappointment.

32. Entrants are reminded that their participation in 蜜芽传媒 competitions (including winning or receiving a highly commended award) cannot be used in commercial advertising or promotions, to attract external funding, to lobby or campaign, or to attract donations.

33. The 蜜芽传媒 does not accept responsibility for any technical failure, malfunction or any other problem with any server, internet access system, programme software or otherwise which may result in any entry being late or not properly submitted. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.

34. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted the Rules and to agree to be bound by them by submitting an entry to this competition. When an entry is submitted by a third party on behalf of an Entrant, the party submitting the entry shall be responsible for the Entrant’s compliance with the rules. Entries that deviate from the Rules of this competition will be disqualified.

35. The promoter of this competition is the British Broadcasting Corporation and these Rules are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

36. This service is subject to the . For the avoidance of doubt, for the purposes of the Terms of Use entries are not considered a creation.

37. This competition accords with 蜜芽传媒’s Code of Conduct for Competitions and Voting, details of which can be found in the 蜜芽传媒 Competitions Policy: .

38. Entries must be suitable for broadcast or publication by the 蜜芽传媒 for audiences of all ages. For further information see . If content submitted has troubling content, the 蜜芽传媒 may take advice from the NSPCC, and may refer to the relevant authorities in accordance with the . By submitting the Entry Form, the Entrant guarantees that they or the content they’ve submitted will not bring the 蜜芽传媒 into disrepute. To do so would result in disqualification. Ineligible, obscene or fraudulent entries will be automatically disqualified.
 
APPENDIX 1: GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A VALID ENTRY

We’ve put together some helpful guidelines on how to submit a valid entry to the competition. Please note that any Entrant who does not comply with the Rules of the competition (including these guidelines) will be disqualified. If you have any questions about these guidelines or any other terms, please don’t hesitate to contact the 蜜芽传媒 Young Composer team by emailing young.composer@bbc.co.uk or calling 0207 765 0557 Monday-Friday during office hours. Standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply.

Please observe the following guidelines:

1. In your submission you must include either of the following:
1.1. A notated or tabbed score (you are encouraged to also submit an audio recording of your piece if you are able to but your entry will be accepted without one);
OR
1.2. A graphic score or a written description of your piece AND an audio recording of your piece

2. Please note: only PDF and .wav, .mp3 and .wma files will be accepted. This webform does not support any other file types, including Word documents. Please ensure that your audio file name ends in either .wav, .mp3 or .wma and that your pdf file name ends in .pdf.

3. If you are aged 12 to 16 (on 1st July 2025) and submitting an entry to the Junior categories, a parent or guardian or teacher (aged 18 or over) must complete the webform.

4. Please complete all compulsory fields of the entry form.

5. If applicable, please state:
5.1. The origin (website, book, poem etc.) of any text used
5.2. The origin (website, sequencing package etc.) of any pre-programmed audio or MIDI loops. Any samples and loops used must be royalty-free and not taken from commercial recordings. Please state clearly how and where these appear in your piece.
5.3. The origin of any musical quotations. Please state clearly how and where these appear in your piece.

6. If submitting an audio recording of your piece, please note that:
6.1. We ask that your piece (and therefore the audio recording) is no longer than 5 minutes in duration.
6.2. There is a maximum total upload limit (inclusive of all files submitted) of 1.2GB and the following file types are accepted: .wav, .mp3 and .wma. Do not include your name on your file name. Please include the name of your piece and your initials.
6.3. You can submit either an audio recording of a live performance of the work or a version taken from notation software packages or sequencing software. If it is derived from software, it must be a playable recording in audio format .wav, .mp3 or .wam, rather than a software specific file.

7. If submitting a notated, tabbed or graphic score please observe that:
7.1. Do not include your name on your file name or anywhere on the document itself. Please only include the name of your piece and your initials.
7.2. Entrants can use traditional music notation, tab for specific instruments or create a detailed graphic score using symbols.
7.3. Entrants may use a combination of notated, graphic and tabbed in their score, if it is necessary to notate their piece.
7.4. Regardless of the type of notation used, Entrants must submit a full score (i.e. not individual parts).
7.5. Entrants may also include a programme note or short description to accompany their piece if necessary. Please do not include your name on your file name or anywhere on the document itself. Please only include the name of your piece and your initials.

8. If submitting a written description:
8.1. Do not include your name on your file name or anywhere on the document itself. Please only include the name of your piece and your initials.
8.2. In your description you should provide the judges with as much information as possible about:
8.2.1. The sounds/instruments/voices you’ve used and how they relate to each other
8.2.2. How your piece should be played
8.2.3. The structure of the piece, describing each section
8.2.4. Your creative process
8.3. Entrants may wish to include diagrams to help explain their work

9. We strongly recommend that you leave plenty of time to submit your entry. Please allow yourself enough time for entries to upload (this can sometimes take a while depending on connection speeds) and for any issues you may encounter.

10. The team cannot accept anything received after 4pm on Thursday 25th September 2025, or anything received via email.