The Guildford based Academy Of Contemporary Music has won a Queen's Award For Enterprise in the innovation category, which certainly sounds impressive. The award has been presented to the music education outfit for the "continuous development of its teaching and curriculum through linking with industry. By close integration with music businesses, increasing numbers of students are helped to be creative, to drive their own commercial projects and ultimately to have successful long-term careers in the highly competitive contemporary music industry".
The Academy launched in 1995, spinning out of a guitar teaching venture set up by one Phil Brookes with the help of a Princes Trust grant. It grew into a wide-ranging music education operation, opening its own purpose built teaching facility in Guildford in 2004. It currently has 1200 full time students, and recent graduates include Newton Faulkner and Sugababe Amelle Berrabah.
Commenting on the award, Brookes told CMU: "It is an honour to receive this prestigious award on behalf of everyone at ACM, especially given the fact that the school was established with the support and aid of the Princes Trust. It is a wonderful recognition of ACM's unique contribution to the education and music industry sectors".