The BMI Composer Awards is an annual competition open to young composers engaged in the creation of classical music. Awards are determined annually for works for any instrumentation and in any classical genre. All works are judged anonymously by a panel of esteemed classical composers that has included such icons of American music. All applicants must be under the age of 28 as of February 15, 2025; and must be in residence in the United States or its territories, or citizens of any country in the Western Hemisphere. Applicants may only submit one application per BMI Foundation awards program and they may not submit the same musical work to more than one BMI Foundation awards program. Applicants may only reapply if they have not won more than two BMI Composer Awards (excludes Honorable Mention). Applicants may not submit works that have won any other award or recognition or works that are under contract with a publisher or record label. Applicants may submit works that use text not written by the applicant, so long as they prove either that the text is used with permission, or that the text is in the public domain. Applicants must submit all works anonymously, with no name or any identification marks on the score beyond the title and composition. Applicants may not submit co-composed works. Applicants must submit an anonymized score (PDF), with no name or identification marks beyond the title and composition. Commission and premiere information must also be removed or the submission will be discarded. Additionally, applicants may need to include: a letter giving permission to use any text or translation thereof that is not in the public domain or written by the composer. For pieces with electronics or non-notatable elements, an audio recording can be included. Please visit the award's website for more information.