Leeds International Piano Competition — Applications (2027 competition)

The Leeds is a competition rather than a grant: what it offers is a platform, prize money and career support, not project funding. The 2027 edition runs from an international first round in spring 2027 through to concerto finals in Leeds that September, and for the first time there is no prescribed repertoire at any stage — you choose everything you play, subject only to duration limits and practical constraints on the concerto.

It is open to pianists born between 19 September 1991 and 30 March 2007, an upper age limit of 35 that is unusually generous for a competition at this level. You need a valid passport, two referees who can speak to your readiness, and materials submitted in English.

Prizes are £50,000 for first place, £20,000 for second, £15,000 for third and £6,000 each for fourth and fifth, alongside awards for contemporary music, an audience vote, an encore and a community project. Competitors and prize-winners also join Competitor+, which brokers mentoring, management, recordings and engagements. There is an application fee, and the competition states it cannot help with application costs.

Applications go through the Acceptd platform and close on 31 October 2026. The centrepiece is a 20–25 minute audio recording, made within the previous twelve months and presented as one continuous performance, plus a fixed-camera video for verification, repertoire for every round and three concerto choices. Pre-selection is anonymous — the panel hears the playing and reads the programme without names — and sixty applicants go through. Individual feedback is not given.