British Composer Awards controversy: Does classical music need a female-only prize?

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Marin Alsop. Photo by Grant Leighton.

The winners of the 2013 British Composer Awards have been announced: 14 talented composers. To be precise, that's 14 talented male composers.

To blogger Jessica Duchen, this suggests a question that's so urgent she puts it in all-caps (referring to the number of categories, 13, rather than the actual number of winners): "HOW IS IT POSSIBLE IN 2013 THAT 13 MEN GET PRIZES AND THERE IS NOT ONE WOMAN IN THE LINE-UP?"

It's no secret that achieving diversity — of all types — among participants and audiences has been as much a challenge for classical music as for any art form. Progress is being made, even at the highest levels: this year, American conductor Marin Alsop became the first woman ever to lead the BBC band at the Last Night of the Proms. As the British Composer Awards (and caveman comments like those by Vasily "a cute girl on a podium means that musicians think about other things" Petrenko) evince, however, we're still a long way from equity.

Duchen offers a suggestion: "It is time for an all-women prize for classical music. Women are achieving great things in this field — but they are not being adequately recognised for it. This time we need more than a list. We need action and we need it now."

What do you think? In the quest for gender parity at parchment and podium, would prizes specifically for women musicians and composers help?