Nominations are now open for BYBA's end of season awards.
Each year, at the National Championships, awards are presented to individuals worthy of special recognition. These awards are the Terry Kemp Memorial Trophy and the Marie Leighton-Morgan Award.
Terry Kemp Memorial Trophy
The purpose of this award is to recognise individual endeavour or achievement in banding over the past 12 months. Nominations will be accepted from Band Staff, Supporters or Members.
Terry first got involved with BYBA via the Ettonettes in Nuneaton in 1978 in a support role. After many years of supporting the band it grew from strength to strength. When the bandmaster sadly passed away Terry was approached to take over.
Terry relished in the role and was not just a bandmaster to the girls in the band but became like a father figure to them. They all had a special bond. After many years as an all-girls band, the decision was made to introduce boys and the band developed into Regency Youth Band, changing their style from traditional to show band. It was during this time that Terry was approached by BYBA to join the development committee. He again threw himself into the role and soon progressed to become Contesting Chairman.
During his time in BYBA, he always believed in doing what was best for the Association - never seeking praise or wearing his position within the association as a badge. He was instrumental in organising the BYBA 25th Anniversary event, held at Coombe Park in Coventry. He was also a familiar face at Nationals at the NEC working both as an announcer and backstage.
On his sad death in 2001, Zoe (Terry’s daughter and a BYBA judge) decided to have a memorial trophy presented in his name at National Championships. The Terry Kemp Memorial Trophy for endeavour stands for all that he believed in, and stood for. The trophy is intended to celebrate the achievement of any child regardless of their health, creed or ability. These are the members of bands who very often are only celebrated by their own ranks.
Marie Leighton-Morgan Award
This award is for members of a BYBA unit that reflect Marie's core values of perseverance, respect for others, attention to detail, passion for music, and giving opportunities to others regardless of background. Nominations will be accepted from Bandmasters or Corps Directors only.
Marie Leighton-Morgan dedicated nearly 40 years of her life to the marching arts. A marching member in her youth, as an adult she took on senior leadership roles where her help and advice steered bands to major success and recognition, not to mention her role in providing musical and life skills to a huge number of young members. Beyond her own bands, she was an integral part of many training weekends where young people around the country benefited from her knowledge and experience, which was always conveyed with a smile and a joke.
In 2009 Marie became a judge for BYBA, specialising in the Field Wind caption. Many bands benefited from her insightful, positive and constructive feedback and she was well known for her spot-on remarks about intonation, embouchure, and attacks and releases. Her tapes were always a pleasure to listen to, and her constructive and balanced critique was very welcome. Most recently, she judged at the November 2017 Individuals and Ensembles contest where again she made a positive impact on everyone she encountered.
Marie received the 2015 Jack Petchey Leadership Award for her outstanding contribution of youth development in Thurrock and its surrounding areas.
In her honour, after Marie's death in 2018, her husband Paul Morgan asked BYBA to make an annual award to be presented at National Championships. The award consists of an engraved trophy and a small replica trophy for the winner to keep.
How To Nominate
Nominations for both of these awards can be made by email. Eligible nominators should send the name of the nominee, the nominee's age, and a statement of why the nominee would be a worthy recipient of the award to awards@byba.online, making sure to include the award's name in the subject line.