The nominees for this year's British Composer Awards have been announced, and the shortlisted works demonstrate just some of the depth and breadth of new music in the UK at the moment. 

Among the more high-profile names nominated this year are Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who died in March last year, for his work The Hogboon; Sally Beamish, who is listed twice, for her Merula Perpetua and The Tempest; and Laurence Crane for Omloop Het Ives. 

Encouragingly, half of the composers are first-time nominees, and include Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian for her Muted Lines in the Contemporary Jazz Composition category and Emily Peasgood for Crossing Over in the Community of Educational Project category.

The awards are presented annually by BASCA and this year's ceremony will take place at the British Museum on Wednesday, December 6, presented by BBC Radio 3's Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Andrew McGregor.

Crispin Hunt, Chairman at BASCA, said: 'The works nominated here speak to politics, ecology, art and history and somehow manage to distil the disorder about us into form. It’s inspiring to note a significant uplift in submissions this year, especially to see so many first-time nominees and young composers shortlisted – further testimony to the pioneering musical spirit of today.'