The Iles and Mortimer Medals

The Iles Medal is named after John Henry Iles (1871-1951) who was the founder of the National Brass Band Championships in 1900 – an extraordinary and flamboyant entrepreneur who virtually controlled the brass band movement for the first half of the 19th century. He was responsible for enlisting leading composers of the day to write music for brass bands – including Elgar, Bliss, Holst and Howells. He also was at one time the owner and editor-in-chief of the British Bandsman and was Master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1932-1933.

The Iles Medal is awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians for significant contributions to the brass band movement. Recipients of the medal since its first award in 1948 are:

1948 – Arthur O. Pearce
1949 – Fred Mortimer
1950 – Herbert Benett
1951 – No award
1952 – George Hawkins
1953 – Harry Mortimer, CBE
1954 – Eric Ball, OBE
1955 – Stanley Boddington, MBE           
1956 – Denis Wright, OBE
1957 – Frank Wright, MBE
1958 – Thomas J. Powell
1959 – Alex Mortimer
1960 – Drake Rimmer
1961 – George Hespe
1962 – Rex Mortimer
1963 – William Wood
1964 – Walter Hargreaves
1965 – Leonard Lamb
1966 – Edward C. Buttress
1967 – Geoffrey Brand
1968 – Thomas F. Atkinson
1969 – William Scholes
1970 – George Thompson, MBE
1971 – Albert Coupe, MBE
1972 – No award
1973 – Trevor Walmsley
1974 – Albert Chappell
1975 – Col. Bernard Adams (S.A.)
1976 – Roy Newsome
1977 – James Scott
1978 – Kenneth Dennison
1979 – Geoffrey Whitham
1980 – John R. Carr
1981 – Edwin J. Williams
1982 – Denis Carr
1983 – David Read
1984 – Ieuan Morgan, MBE
1985 – Dennis Masters

1986 – Richard Evans
1987 – John Berryman
1988 – Derek Broadbent
1989 – James Shepherd
1990 – Norman Ashcroft
1991 – Peter Wilson
1992 – Bram Gay
1993 – Elgar Howarth
1994 – Peter Parkes
1995 – Howard Snell
1996 – James Watson + Margaret Mortimer
1997 – James Williams (S.A.)
1998 – Edward Gregson
1999 – David King
2000 – Philip Sparke
2001 – Allan Withington
2002 – Gary Cutt
2003 – Bramwell Tovey
2004 – Philip Wilby
2005 – Paul Hindmarsh
2006 – James Gourlay
2007 – Robert Childs and Nicholas Childs
2008 – Peter Roberts
2009 – Peter Graham
2010 – Stephen Cobb & Martin Mortimer
2011 – Frank Renton
2012 – Stan Kitchen
2013 – Phillip McCann
2014 – John McCabe
2015 – Goff Richards
2016 – Russell Gray
2017 – Martin Ellerby
2018 – Trevor Caffull
2019 – Ray Farr
2020 – Ian Porthouse
2021 – Philip Harper
2022 – Mark Wilkinson
2023 – Gavin Higgins

The Mortimer Medal is named after Harry Mortimer, cornet player and conductor extraordinary, and was endowed at the instigation of Mrs Margaret Mortimer, in memory of her late husband. It is awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians to recognise outstanding achievements in the youth bands scene. Recipients are:

1995 – Nigel Boddice
1996 – Leighton Rich
1997 – Gordon Evans, MBE
1998 – Christopher Wormald
1999 – Lynda Nicholson
2000 – Derek Greenwood
2001 – Colin Duxbury
2002 – Betty Anderson
2003 – Philip McCann
2004 – Paul Fensom
2005 – Alun F Williams
2006 – Paul Cosh
2007 – Gary Walczak
2008 – Alan Pope
2009 – Marie Smith

2010 – Brian Taylor
2011 – Michael Robertson
2012 – Mark Bousie
2013 – Chris Jeans
2014 – Helen Marshall
2015 – Lee Rigg
2016 – Samantha Harrison
2017 – Anna Hughes-Willilams
2018 – Gwyn Evans
2019 – Brad Turnbull
2020 – Bramwell Tovey
2021 – Steven Mead
2022 – Duncan Beckley
2023 – John Boax