Opportunities

Competitions, funding, mentoring and events for composers. Titles link to each opportunity. Updated as new ones come up.

One-off

Un-Convention

Manchester, 22-23 Oct 2026. Music industry conference with panels, networking and showcases of emerging artists.

Indie Game Music Contest

Score real indie games. Registration closes 30 Oct, submissions due 4 Nov 2026.

Aesthetica Film Festival

York, 5-7 Nov 2026. Music masterclasses on sound design, sync licensing and scoring to picture. Student day pass £27, including one masterclass.

Manchester Animation Festival

Manchester, 8-12 Nov 2026. Screenings, talks and an industry forum - a good room for meeting animators who need music.

Berlin International Film Scoring Competition

Score a provided short film. 2027 round: registration opens 15 Oct 2026, deadline 15 Jan 2027.

Recurring

G.A.N.G. Student Game Music & Sound Design Competition

Annual student competition from the Game Audio Network Guild - a strong portfolio and CV credential for game audio.

G.A.N.G. Scholars Program

Mentorship and scholarship route into game audio for students.

World Soundtrack Awards - Composition Contest

International contest for young film composers, run alongside the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent.

Five UK composers rescore a short film for full orchestra, recorded by the RSNO, with masterclasses and mentoring. For PRS members (or applying members); the call usually opens in mid-September and closes in early October.

RPS Composers Programme

A commission, premiere and a year of mentoring for early-career concert composers. Not open to current undergraduate or master’s students - one for after you graduate. Deadline usually in early April.

PRS Foundation - Composer Bursaries

Funding for early-career composers - separate from PRS for Music itself.

Ivors Academy Trust - Peter Sinfield Bursary Fund

Bursary fund for emerging songwriters and composers.

MusicFutures

Funding, training and scholarships for music creators in the Liverpool City Region.