Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize 2025 – the finalists

Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) and Stiles + Drewe have announced the finalists in the running for 2025’s Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize.

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 25 November.

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 12 shortlisted songs will be showcased by West End performers during the celebration concert. Casting and the host will be revealed at a later date.

A panel of industry judges, including Stiles and Drewe, will award the prize and the winner will receive £1,000 towards developing their work. This year’s concert is supported by Tarento Productions and Dorico.

Chosen from 230 submissions, the 2025 nominees are:

‘A Little Girl’ from The Fossil Finder by Ben Cahill-Nichols

‘And Begin’ from For All Time by Zach Burns and Oli Adcock

‘Beyond The Break’ from Floaties by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond

‘Fly’ from 73 Seconds by Jordan Li-Smith

‘Nice Girls Never Win’ from VAMP by Sarah Middleton and Eleanor Isherwood

‘Once a Year’ from Clockwork Christmas by Anton Mouzykantskii and Craig Adams

‘Purple Striped Tiger’ from Spark! by J Edna Mae Thomas

‘Reason and Love’ from The Debutantes by Sam Norman and Eliza Randall

‘Steal My Heart’ from Dreamland by Michael Praed

‘Sunbird’ from Immigration Crisis: The Musical by Tyler McKinnon, Chantelle Micallef Grimaud and Zoë Farrugia

‘Time’ from Work Wife by Ashton Moore

‘Yes I Confess’ from Clara at the Door with a Revolver by Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Angela Thomas