FAQs

HMD Harmony is open to music creators aged 18–25 (inclusive) who are resident in the UK.

Yes. Groups are welcome to apply, provided all members meet the eligibility criteria.

Due to the size and staging requirements of the UK National Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony, compositions should require no more than four instrumentalists for performance. However, we may be able to accommodate additional vocal performers where a choir or vocal ensemble forms part of the entry.

Yes. You may submit more than one composition, but each entry must be submitted separately and will be judged independently.

No. We welcome submissions from creators of all musical backgrounds and levels of experience. We are looking for originality, creativity and a meaningful response to the theme.

Any genre or style is welcome, including classical, contemporary, electronic, folk, jazz, pop, spoken word and experimental work.

We invite entrants to respond creatively to Holocaust Memorial Day and its theme for 2027, ‘No Place for Prejudice’. Your composition may explore the Holocaust and/or explore ideas such as identity, belonging, resilience, hope, community and shared humanity.

Please visit our Guidance & Inspiration page for creative prompts, resources and further information.

Submissions must be no longer than two minutes.

If possible, please submit a score. This helps the judging panel understand your composition and supports any future performance planning.

If you are unable to provide a score, please submit lyrics (where applicable) alongside a recording of the work.

Yes. All entries must be accompanied by a written statement of between 150 -300 words explaining the inspiration behind your composition and how it responds to the theme ‘No Place for Prejudice’.

We recommend uploading your recording to YouTube as an Unlisted video and including the link in your application.

Alternatively, you may provide a view-only Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive link.

Yes. Compositions may be instrumental, vocal, spoken word or a combination of these elements.

Entries must be original work that has not been commercially released.

Entries should be substantially complete at the point of submission.

You retain copyright ownership of your composition.

By entering the competition, you grant the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust a non-exclusive licence to perform, record, broadcast and promote your work in connection with the competition and Holocaust Memorial Day activities.

The winning composition will be featured as part of the UK National Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony on 27 January 2027.

We will work closely with the selected entrant(s) to prepare the piece for inclusion in the Ceremony. This may involve adapting the arrangement to suit performers, production requirements and the format of the event.

The selected composition may be performed by professional musicians and/or the entrant(s), at the discretion of the Executive Producers of the UK National Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony.

We aim to notify all applicants of the outcome by mid- December 2026.

The judging panel will assess entries based on:

• Musical quality and craftsmanship
• Creativity and originality
• Connection to the theme
• Emotional and artistic impact
• Suitability for inclusion in the UK National Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony

Due to the anticipated number of submissions, we will not be able to provide individual feedback.

Visit our Guidance & Inspiration page for creative prompts, historical resources and examples to support your creative response.