Annual Awards

Celebrating leaders in the early music community.


Thomas Binkley Award

This award honors individuals who, in their roles as leaders of collegiate early-music ensembles, have made outstanding contributions to the study and performance of early music.

Named for the legendary lutenist and educator Thomas Binkley, who taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, made ground-breaking recordings with the Studio der Frühen Musik, and served as founding director of the Early Music Institute (now Historical Performance Institute) at Indiana University.

More about the Binkley Award

Howard Mayer Brown Award

For lifetime achievement in the field of early music

Named in memory of the renowned and beloved musicologist from the University of Chicago, Howard Mayer Brown. Brown’s scholarship covered a wide range of subjects. He published on the music of the Renaissance, especially on instrumental music and chanson repertoire, and frequently returned to problems in historical performance practice, a subfield in which he was one of the most important commentators.

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Laurette Goldberg Award

For achievement in early music outreach.

Named for teacher, performer, author, and musical innovator Laurette Goldberg, this award recognizes ongoing, outstanding achievement in educational or outreach endeavors by individual performers, teaching artists, or ensembles. With the Laurette Goldberg Award, EMA celebrates work that draws new audiences or practitioners, or engages such communities in a new manner; that achieves remarkable breadth or depth of reach, seen in numbers of people engaged or in hours of engagement; and that stands to leave a lasting mark on the historical performance field, by transforming the communities served or by modeling practices that can be replicated and developed by others in the profession.

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Joan Benson Clavichord Award

For a current outstanding American clavichord artist, teacher, researcher, composer, clavichord maker or organizer of clavichord symposiums, master classes or sessions for children.

Named for the distinguished keyboardist Joan Benson, the intention of this award is to show the significance of soft, tender tones through the clavichord. The awardee will have awakened a vivid appreciation for this delicate keyboard instrument and shown its unique ability to express music through delicate, dynamic-rich, highly-nuanced sounds.

*A voluntary selection committee nominated by Joan Benson will choose the recipient of the Benson Clavichord Award.

More about the Benson Clavichord Award


Nomination Details

  • The nomination period for 2023 is closed. Please check back in early 2024 .
  • Nominees should be residents of North, South, or Central America.
  • A committee consisting of members of EMA’s Board of Directors will review the nominations and select Award recipients.
  • Nominators will be asked to provide the following in the nomination form.
    • Name of Nominee
    • Contact Email for Nominee (if known)
    • Award for which they are being nominated
    • Reasons for the nomination (500 words max)
    • How the nominator knows the nominee (150 words max)
    • Nominator name, email, and phone number

Past Awards

This award acknowledged the importance of educational outreach in early music, and exposing the next generation to its delights and wonders.

Recipients
2006: New York State Early Music Association
2005: Nina Stern
2005: Special Award for Outstanding Contributions to Early Music Education: Mark Cudek
2004: Peggy Monroe
2003: Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
2003: Honorable Mention: David Coffin
2002: American Classical Orchestra
2001: No Award
2000: Ensemble Musical Offering
1999: Chatham Baroque
1998: Nottingham Fair

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