HMDT launches new music competition with chance to perform at national ceremony
Offering £500 prize, initiative invites musicians aged 18 - 25 to create an original composition inspired by the Holocaust Memorial Day 2027 theme, 'No Place for Prejudice'
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has launched a new UK-wide music competition to find emerging musicians and composers, whose work will become part of the 2027 UK National Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony.
The BAFTA-nominated ceremony is the UK’s remembrance event, bringing together political, civic and faith leaders, Holocaust survivors and celebrities. Each year, it is the focal point of HMD commemorations, with thousands of schools, organisations and communities marking the day.
The HMD Harmony initiative is inviting musicians aged 18 – 25 to create an original composition inspired by the Holocaust Memorial Day 2027 theme, No Place for Prejudice. The winning entry will receive a £500 award to support the next stage of their musical journey, alongside the opportunity to have their music become part of the national remembrance ceremony itself.
The closing date is Monday 9 November 2026; entries will be judged by an expert panel, announced later this year.
Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “Throughout Holocaust remembrance, music has helped audiences connect emotionally with history in ways that words alone sometimes cannot. Through HMD Harmony, we want to encourage a new generation of musicians to engage creatively with Holocaust Memorial Day, ensuring its lessons continue to resonate with future generations.”
Taking place on 27 January, Holocaust Memorial Day is a national day to commemorate the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions more murdered through the Nazi persecution of other communities.
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