The title song from our musical Stay has been chosen as a finalist in the Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize 2023.
Awarded on an annual basis to a member of MMD, the UK’s largest membership organisation dedicated to developing new musical theatre writing, the winner of this year’s award will be revealed at the end of a star-studded concert performance at The Other Palace in London on 13 November 2023.
Established and overseen by acclaimed writing duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Identical, Honk!, Mary Poppins), the Song Prize showcases 12 new songs from the musicals of tomorrow, in a celebration concert of new musical theatre writing. The evening will also include songs from a selection of recent hit musicals.
A panel of industry judges, including the writing team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, will award the prize and the winner will receive a prize of £1,000 towards developing their work. Chosen from 177 submissions, the twelve 2023 nominees are:
‘Ain’t That So’ from T-Room...The Musical by Rosabella Gregory and Dina Gregory
‘Before I Move On’ from Bricks by Michael Henry, Emma Dennis Edwards and Darren Clark
‘Bio’ from Queerway by Geraint Owen
‘The Botanical Garden Gate’ from Game Theory by Rachel Bellman and Josh Bird
‘Drown Without Water’ from The Circle by Rachel Walker Mason and Nina Sundstrom
‘Height Lines’ from The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair by Jordan Li-Smith, based on the novel by Lara Williamson
‘Henry’ from Undertaking Betty by Richy Hughes and Luke Bateman
‘Stay’ from Stay by Jonathan O’Neill & Isaac Savage
‘Talent’ from In Clay by Rebecca Simmonds and Jack Miles
‘This Moment’ from FLIP by Josh Bird and Giles Fernando
‘Time Slows Down’ from Black Holes Like Donuts by Sam Norman and Eliza Randal
‘Unstoppable’ from The Unstoppable Letty Pegg by Helen Arney and James Hughes
The 12 shortlisted songs will be showcased by West End performers during the celebration concert, hosted by Rob Madge (My Son's a Queer).
Our song will be performed by Lewis Cornay and the 2023 Best New Song will be chosen by a panel of industry experts including Stiles and Drewe.