Remembering Isaac through investments in KES music

Eligibility

Prospective applicants must be KES students, Y10 - Y13. This award is open to all students and not limited to those taking Music GCSE or A-Level. Special attention will be given to students wanting to develop skills in electronic music
production.

Awards are discretionary, meaning that the deciding panel made up of the Nockels family and KES staff will be directed by
applicants’ plans for the award. Applications will be assessed on their suitability and whether they fit with the following criteria:
Awards are available for a maximum of £800 and can be used to cover musical equipment, including computer software and hardware; workshops, residentials/summer schools and the hiring of recording space. The scheme is therefore not intended for regular music lessons which are available through KES and the Sheffield Music Hub (www.sheffieldmusichub.org), or for attending live performances. The scheme is aimed at those who can demonstrate music proficiency and are already engaged in music practice - at any level, as well as those wanting to improve and develop.

Applicants must demonstrate how the award will benefit their music practice, and provide sufficient detail as to their plans.
For advice on instrument models (i.e. Yamaha) or in-person music opportunities, please contact the KES Music Department. For events, such as workshops and summer schools, applicants can include prospective activities, for instance if a residential has passed in 2026 but is known to be yearly and occurring in 2027. Proof of receipt to KES will be required for all awardees.

The scheme expects to fund one student per academic year, but will evaluate this depending on the amount of applicants and their plans.

Please allow sufficient time between submitting the application and workshop or activity dates, due to KES’s processing of the
award taking around a month. For more information, see Key Dates.

If successful, awardees commit to performing at the KES End of Year Awards, using or responding to a sample of Isaac’s music. This could be directly sampling Isaac’s tracks, or composing a more theoretical response. These tracks will be made available through the prize’s website and can be directly sent to awardees via email as mp3 files.

Feel free to contact is.musicprize@gmail.com with any questions around eligibility or the suitability of your plans.

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Application Process

Applications will be invited via this prize website (isaacnockelsmusicprize.com) as a Google Form. The application will consist
of the below questions and, if shortlisted, a face-to-face conversation with the Nockels family. This is not an audition or interview, but a chance for the family to understand your plans and vision.

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Please explain your current music activities and interest (maximum 250 words).

Please include any lessons you currently have, or activities you engage in, as well as music skills you have developed (either taught or independently).

Tell us about a musical artist, or piece, you admire and why? (maximum 250 words).

What are your plans for the award? (maximum 250 words)

This can include instrumental purchasing or attending workshops, summer schools, residential or short courses. Please see Eligibility.

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Short-listed candidates will attend a meeting, approx. 30 minutes, with the Nockels family. This will be a chance for you to discuss your plans and any changes since applying. This is likely to occur on KES premises or at the nearby Tapton Hill Congregational Church. A member of KES Music Departmental staff will attend, for safeguarding and introductory purposes. All members of the Nockels family have an up-to-date DBS.

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