Call for Nominations

The Royal Musical Association is seeking nominations for the 2022 Dent Medal award. The Dent Medal, struck in memory of the distinguished scholar and musician Edward J. Dent (1876-1957), is awarded by the Royal Musical Association annually to recipients selected for their outstanding contribution to musicology. The award holder is invited to receive her/his medal and to deliver a keynote address at the RMA’s annual conference in September of the year following the award. A list of former medal recipients may be found on our Awards pages.

Historically, nominations for the award have been accepted only from trustees of the RMA and from members of the International Musicological Society Directorium. In order to ensure a diverse range of candidates, from 2022 all members of both organizations will be invited annually to submit nominations. We strongly encourage nominations that reflect the full diversity of music studies.

 Criteria for nomination

1. The Dent Medal is awarded to a scholar in mid-career who has made an outstanding contribution to musicology, as indicated by published scholarship.
2. ‘Mid-career’ is typically understood to mean within 15–20 years of completion of PhD or from first academic appointment.* A longer time range may be considered where there are mitigating circumstances such as parental leave or ill health.

* Note: Nominators may care to consult the international database, Doctoral Dissertations in Musicology as a guide to scholars who have received their PhD within the last 15 to 20 years, while bearing in mind that this will not catch all potential nominees.

Nomination process

1. Nominations may only be made by current members of the RMA or IMS. Self-nominations are not permitted.
2. Nominators should submit a statement of up to 1200 words to the chair of the Awards committee, Professor Sarah Hibberd (sarah.hibberd@bristol.ac.uk). This statement should indicate the scholar’s career stage; include relevant biographical details or a link to a webpage where such information can be located; and identify the body of work that forms the basis for the nomination and explain why it constitutes an outstanding contribution to musicology. The statement should also include details of any additional published work and activities that have served to further enhance musicological scholarship.
3. Nominations must be received by Thursday 31 March 2022. The Awards Committee’s recommendation will be submitted to the September meeting of RMA Council. If approved, the recipient will be contacted forthwith and the award announced shortly after receipt of the recipient’s acceptance.