The Gramophone Awards 2021: all the winning classical artists and how to watch the ceremony live

5 October 2021, 10:42 | Updated: 6 October 2021, 09:52

We bring you the Gramophone Awards 2021, as the classical world gathers – virtually – to celebrate the greatest recordings and most exciting artists. Here are all the winners and how to watch the ceremony.

Every year, The Gramophone Awards are presented by Gramophone, to celebrate the very best artists, pieces and recordings in classical music.

This year’s online ceremony will be hosted by Gramophone’s Editor-in-Chief James Jolly and star pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, from the VOCES8 Centre in London.

It will be available to watch live above and on Classic FM’s Facebook Page from 7pm on Tuesday 5 October, with this year’s Young Artist award sponsored by Classic FM.

Jolly said: “Even though live music has been absent from so many of our lives over the past 18 months, recorded music has continued to provide us with solace, escape and joy, and the 2021 Gramophone Classical Music Awards celebrate the amazing quality and richness of 11 albums that have caught our attention.

“Do join us on October 5, when Isata Kanneh-Mason and I will be not only presenting these 11 awards, but will also be revealing the special awards, including our new Artist of the Year, Young Artist, the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, our 2021 Orchestra of the Year, our new Label of the Year and our inaugural Spatial Music Award.”

Read more: All the winners at The Gramophone Awards 2020 including Classic FM’s Orchestra in the Midlands

Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2021

Gramophone Awards 2021: All the category winners

1. Chamber – winner

   Beach & Elgar: Piano Quintets

   Takács Quartet; Garrick Ohlsson (Hyperion)

2. Choral – winner

   Dussek: Messe solemnelle

   AAM & Choir / Richard Egarr (AAM Records)

3. Concerto – winner

   Shostakovich: Violin Concertos

   Alina Ibragimova (violin); State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, ‘Evgeny Svetlanov’ / Vladimir Jurowski (Hyperion)

4. Contemporary – winner

   Pickard: The Gardener of Aleppo & other chamber works

   Susan Bickley, Nash Ensemble / Martyn Brabbins (BIS)

5. Early Music – winner

   Josquin: Masses – D’ung aultre amer; Faysant regretz; Hercules Dux Ferrarie

   The Tallis Scholars / Peter Phillips (Gimell)

6. Instrumental – winner

   JS Bach: Lute Suites

   Sean Shibe (Delphian)

7. Opera – winner

   Britten: Peter Grimes

   Stuart Skelton, Erin Wall, Roderick Williams, Susan Bickley, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Robert Murray, James Gilchrist, Marcus Farnsworth, Bergen Philharmonic Chorus & Orchestra, Edward Gardner (Chandos)

8. Orchestral – winner

   Franz Schmidt: The Complete Symphonies

   Frankfurt RSO / Paavo Järvi (DG)

9. Piano – winner

   JS Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2 – excerpts

   Piotr Anderszewski (Warner Classics)

10. Voice & Ensemble – winner

    Verdi Opera Arias

    Ludovic Tézier; Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Frédéric Chaslin (Sony Classical)

11. Song – winner

    ‘El Nour’ – Fatma Said

    Malcolm Marineau et al, Vision Quartet (Warner Classics)

Gramophone Awards 2021: ‘Recording of the Year’ and Special Awards

1. Recording of the Year – winner

   Edward Gardner and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra – Peter Grimes

2. Artist of the Year – winner

   Violinist James Ehnes

   Thrilled and honored to announce I have been selected as @GramophoneMag Artist of the Year! @piandrew #onyxclassics @IntermusicaLtd @sim_4 pic.twitter.com/T0KQt8cu77

   — James Ehnes (@JamesEhnes) October 5, 2021

3. Lifetime Achievement – winner

   Soprano Gundula Janowitz

4. Young Artist – winner

   Egyptian soprano Fatma Said

   Soprano @FatmaSaid is named Gramophone's 2021 Young Artist of the Year, an award sponsored by @ClassicFM
   
   📺Watch now https://t.co/7eHqX75Gky #GramoAwards pic.twitter.com/03bZud1CeA

   — Gramophone (@GramophoneMag) October 5, 2021

5. Orchestra of the Year – winner

   Minnesota Orchestra

   The @mn_orchestra is crowned Gramophone's 2021 Orchestra of the Year, as decided by the music-loving public and presented in association with @AppleMusic 🏆
   
   📺Watch now https://t.co/7eHqX75Gky #GramoAwards pic.twitter.com/bGDbmSzhkV

   — Gramophone (@GramophoneMag) October 5, 2021

6. Special Achievement – winner

   Boston Modern Orchestra Project

Watch The Gramophone Awards 2021 on Classic FM’s Facebook Page on Tuesday 5 October at 7pm.