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Winner: Arsene Duc (Valaisia Brass Band)
2. Ian Porthouse (Tredegar/Kingdom Brass/National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain)
3. Philip Harper (Cory/National Youth Brass Band of Wales/Great Britain)
2021 was very much a year of frustrations and challenges for conductors of bands at all levels, and it was perhaps hard for any to stand alone from a high class batch of rivals.
All ten nominations certainly brought talent, invention, commitment and inspiration to what they did for the bands they worked with during the past year — and all gained some recognition from the judges as a result with eight gaining at least one, first choice preference.
However, it was the unassuming brilliance of Valaisia's Arsene Duc that caught the attention most — helped by him leading his band to an unprecedented sixth consecutive Swiss National title.
He claimed the title for the second time with five first preference choices and a multitude of podium preferences from the international panel, to finish just ahead of Ian Porthouse and Philip Harper who scooped seven first choice preferences between themselves.
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 Childs (euphonium soloist/Editor BBW Magazine); 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 (Norwegian broadcaster/presenter); Kurt Bohalter (Swiss Brass Band administrator/Publisher); Steven Mead (Euphonium soloist); Paul Holland (Conductor/Adjudicator); Matthew Van Emmerick (Soloist/Conductor); Mark Good (Editor British Bandsman magazine)
Past Winners:
2020: Philip Harper
2019: Philip Harper
2018: Arsene Duc
2017: Ingar Bergby
2016: Philip Harper
2015: Philip Harper
2014: Nicholas Childs
2013: Philip Harper
2012: Allan Withington
2011: David King
2010: Ian Porthouse
2009: Robert Childs
2008: Robert Childs
2007: Allan Withington
2006: Allan Withington
2005: Nicholas Childs
2004: Ray Farr
2003: David King
2002: Russell Gray
2001: David King
