2020 Winner: Manger Musikklag (Midnight's Butterflies)
Manger Musikklag's brilliant performance of 'Midnight's Butterflies by Maurice Donnet-Monay (under his lepidopterist alter-ego of Lard Nygard) at the 2020 Norwegian National Championship claims the 'Contest Performance of the Year' award.
Directed by Peter Sebastian Szilvay it was as 4BR Editor Iwan Fox said on the day, "roof raising epicness".
It picked up five first choice preferences from the panel, plus two podium nominations to secure victory.
Podium finishers
The runner-up was Tredegar's superb rendition of 'A Tale As Yet Untold' which saw Ian Porthouse's band claim their second consecutive Welsh Regional title. That gained three first choice preferences plus seven podium nominations.
A fine third place went to Fountain City for their top section winning production for the Cory on-line competition. That also gained three first preference choices and three podium nominations.
There were also two first preference choices for Stavanger (Norwegian National Championships) and Black Dyke (Yorkshire Regional Championship).
Directed by Peter Sebastian Szilvay it was as 4BR Editor Iwan Fox said on the day, "roof raising epicness"4BR
Panel:
The Awards Panel consisted of: Iwan Fox (Editor 4BR); Malcolm Wood (4BR Chief Contributor); Andrew Wainwright (Composer/Arranger/Graphic Designer); Gordon Simpson (statistician Brass Band World magazine); Chris Thomas (Chief Contributor Brass Band World magazine/4BR contributor); Frode Rydland (EBBA Music Commission/ Bjorsvik Brass); David Hirst (Conductor/Adjudicator); Alexander Zwann (Chief contributor CU Brass); Tim Mutum (writer/brass band recording and history specialist); Owen Melhuish (President: North Shore Brass New Zealand); Chris Wormald (Conductor/Adjudicator/Arranger); Steve Jack (photographer/4BR, BBW contributor); Stein Skopholm (Broadcaster/presenter)
Past Winners:
2019: Cory — Titan's Progress (National Championship of Great Britain)
2018: Manger Musikklag (Siddis Entertainment Championship)
2017: Eikanger Bjorsvik — Fraternity (European Championship)
2016: Cory — The Triumph of Time (British Open Championship)
2015: Cory — Spiriti (National Championship of Great Britain)
2014: Brass Band Bugermusik Luzern — Trance (Swiss National Championship)
2013: Tredegar — Arabian Nights (Fantasy on Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade for Brass Band) (British Open Championship)
2012: Foden's — Daphnis et Chloe (National Championship of Great Britain)
2011: Cory — Red Priest (British Open Championship)
2010: Fairey (Geneva) — Eden (English National Championship)
2009: Fountain City Brass Band — Dreams (Scottish Open Championship)
2008: Eikanger Bjorsvik — Riffs & Interludes (Norwegian Championship)
2007: Brass Band Oberosterreich — Titan's Progress (European Championship)
2006: Black Dyke — Vienna Nights (British Open Championship)
2005: Black Dyke — Journey to the Centre of the Earth (European Championship)
2004: Black Dyke — Montage (British Open Championship)
2003: Buy As You View Cory — Revelation (European Championship)
2002: Yorkshire Building Society — Concerto Grosso (European Championship)
2001: Foden's — Les Preludes (British Open Championship)
