The Tune into Nature Music Prize is back for 2026. With a first prize of £500, the prize aims to encourage submissions of original music from young musicians aged 18 to 30 that celebrate the human-nature relationship and showcase the inclusion of sounds of the natural world.

You can find out all you need to know about the prize, new partners, opportunities for winners and judges on the new website: https://www.tuneintonaturemusicprize.info/

Last year’s joint winners were 23-year-old Josephine Illingworth, whose track titled ‘Dawn’ was made from sounds collected from mountain huts across the Dolomites, while the lyrics were taken from entries in the guestbooks from visitors.

The second winning track, Nightingale by Wildforms, aka Dan Cippico, turned bird song into a drum and bass track. The winners were featured on BBC Radio and in The Guardian.

Nine other artists were shortlisted for the Prize, including a range of genres from Hip Hop, Rock and Pop to Jazz, Folk and Classical, showing the universal appeal and relevance of nature as a source of inspiration and connection. Here’s a playlist of their and the winners’ tracks.

The 2026 winner will have the option of their track being released on NATURE’s profile across major streaming platforms as part of the Sounds Right initiative, benefiting from significant promotion and marketing, and featured on a special playlist to raise funds for nature restoration and protection.

From Louis Armstrong to Louis VI, a Tune into Nature play list on Spotify provides inspiration, with lyrics and sounds that celebrate the natural world. The playlist also include previous winners Ceitidh Mac, Girl Next Door  and Caslean.

Alongside the University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group, the competition is backed by a collaboration of recognised environmental-loving organisations including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Voice for Nature, EarthPercent and Sounds Right.