Cellist Charlotte Miles claims victory at the 2026 ABC Young Performers Awards

Cellist Charlotte Miles has won the 2026 ABC Young Performers Awards following the grand final held at the Sydney Opera House on November 3. Miles performed Elgar's Cello Concerto alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which was conducted by Benjamin Northey. The win adds to more than 100 music prizes already achieved by the 24-year-old cellist.

The competition began in February, with Miles advancing through two competitive rounds to secure her place in the final. Originally from Victoria, Miles has been studying in the professional program at the Kronberg Academy in Germany, returning to Australia specifically to compete in the grand final event.

Alongside her competition success, Miles regularly performs as a guest musician with the Berlin Philharmonic and toured earlier in the year with French cellist Gautier Capuçon. Reflecting on her final performance in an interview with ABC Classic's Genevieve Lang, Miles stated that she felt calm and dared to share her music fully with the audience.

Violinists and pianists rounded out the top placings in the annual competition. Violinist Beatrice Colombis, aged 23, secured the runner-up position after performing Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto. Pianist Dillon Chan, the youngest finalist at 14 years old, claimed third place following his performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2.

Prizes awarded to the finalists include a $40,000 cash award and the chance to record a solo studio album with the ABC Classic label for the winner. The runner-up received a $15,000 cash prize, while third place was awarded $5,000 to support the continuation of their musical careers.

The grand final concert was broadcast live on ABC Classic, hosted by former competitor Genevieve Lang, and captured on film for subsequent broadcast on ABC TV and ABC iview with hosts Jeremy Fernandez and Megan Burslem.