Huddersfield has a long and proud musical heritage.

And it is to continue, with the University of Huddersfield being honoured by the Queen.

The University’s role in expanding the global boundaries of new music, opening the ears of millions to exciting contemporary sounds, has earned a Queen’s Anniversary Prize, one of the most coveted distinctions in UK Higher Education.

It is recognition of the part played in staging of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, founded by Richard Steinitz, and of new courses run by the university.

The prizes are part of the country’s official honours system and are awarded every two years to a small number of institutions. They are bestowed by The Queen at a Buckingham Palace ceremony, and recognise and publicise the contribution that universities and colleges make to the intellectual, economic and cultural life of the nation.

The university submitted a 5,000-word document outlining its work in the field of contemporary music which said: “Over four decades the University has established itself as a global leader in contemporary music. Wide-ranging impacts in culture, education and commercial applications have grown from investment in world-class facilities and staff, strategic partnerships with festivals and industry bodies, and pioneering international collaborations.

"New music inspired by the University’s leadership in this area has reached new audiences, developed generations of creative artists, and contributed to the vitality of cultural life in the UK and internationally, as well as to the social and economic wellbeing of the region. The University’s name has become synonymous with excellence in contemporary music-making, and its leaders are committed both to sustaining this distinctive legacy and to setting future trends”.

The work of several members of the academic staff working in contemporary music was highlighted and the entry document also stated how the University created and hosts the largest and foremost international platform for new and experimental music in the UK in the form of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, which has a global reputation.

Vice Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan

Prof Bob Cryan, the University’s Vice Chancellor, said he was delighted by the award. “There is no doubt that contemporary music research and performance is one of the jewels in our crown at the University of Huddersfield and the hard work that went into producing our submission for the Queen‘s Anniversary Prize has been amply rewarded.

“We are proud and privileged by the Royal recognition and Royal visits that we have received over the years and it is worth recalling that when Her Majesty The Queen came to visit us in 2007, it was to lay the foundation stone for our Creative Arts Building, where our work on contemporary music takes place”.

The winners were announced last night and will receive the prizes at Buckingham Palace in February.