1 January - Musicians honoured in the Queen's New Year Honours list include mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer (CBE) and composer Howard Goodall (CBE), Richard Thompson (OBE) and Annie Lennox (OBE).14 April - On his sixtieth birthday, Julian Lloyd Webber gives the première of American composer Eric Whitacre's "The River Cam", written specially for the occasion.29 April - The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton includes original music by Paul Mealor and John Rutter as well as traditional works by British composers such as Hubert Parry's setting of the anthem "I was glad" and William Walton's "Crown Imperial".11 June - Musicians honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours list include Bryan Ferry (CBE), broadcaster Bob Harris (OBE) and jazz singer Claire Martin (OBE).10 September - Edward Gardner conducted the Last Night of the Proms for the first time. The programme included works by Béla Bartók and Franz Liszt as well as the traditional Elgar, and the soloist for "Rule Britannia" was Susan Bullock. A highlight was the première of Peter Maxwell Davies's Musica benevolens.9 October - Sir Paul McCartney marries Nancy Shevell.18 October - Ian Brown, John Squire, Mani & Reni announce the reformation of The Stone Roses at London's Soho Hotel.11 December - Little Mix emerge winners of the 2011 X Factor series. They are the first group entry to win in the programme's eight-year history.Ian Bostridge - A Singer's NotebookKarl Jenkins -The Bards of Wales (cantata)Paul Mealor - Ubi Caritas et AmorGraham Waterhouse - Rhapsodie MacabreEric Whitacre - The River CamPeter Maxwell Davies - Kommilitonen!Jonathan Dove - Mansfield ParkMark-Anthony Turnage - Anna NicoleNicola Benedetti - ItaliaAlfie Boe - AlfieBond - PlayKatherine Jenkins - DaydreamPaul Lewis - Schubert: Piano SonatasJulian Lloyd Webber - The Art of Julian Lloyd Webber (compilation)Chris Watson - El Tren FantasmaFilm and incidental music
Lorne Balfe - IroncladNeil Brand - UndergroundJonny Greenwood - We Need to Talk About KevinThe 2011 BRIT Awards were hosted by James Corden on 15 February 2011. The most notable winners were Tinie Tempah and Arcade Fire, both winning two awards.
British Male Solo Artist: Plan BBritish Female Solo Artist: Laura MarlingBritish Breakthrough Act: Tinie TempahBritish Group: Take ThatMasterCard British Album: Sigh No More – Mumford & SonsBritish Single: "Pass Out" – Tinie TempahInternational Male Solo Artist: Cee Lo GreenInternational Female Solo Artist: RihannaInternational Breakthrough Act: Justin BieberInternational Group: Arcade FireInternational Album: The Suburbs – Arcade FireBritish Producer: Markus DravsCritics' Choice: Jessie JThe 2011 Classical BRIT Awards were held on 12 May 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall, London and hosted by Myleene Klass.
Male Artist of the Year: Antonio PappanoFemale Artist of the Year: Alison BalsomNewcomer Award: Vilde FrangComposer of the Year: Arvo PärtCritics' Award: Tasmin LittleArtist of the Decade: Il DivoAlbum of the Year: Moonlight Serenade – André Rieu and His Johann Strauss OrchestraOutstanding Contribution to Music: John Barry (posthumous)The 56th Ivor Novello Awards were held on 19 May 2011 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
Best Song Musically and Lyrically: "Becoming a Jackal" – Villagers (written by Conor O'Brien)Best Contemporary Song: "Pass Out" – Tinie Tempah (written by Timothy McKenzie, Patrick Okogwu and Marc Williams)Album Award: The Defamation of Strickland Banks – Plan BBest Original Film Score: How to Train Your Dragon (composed by John Powell)Best Original Video Game Score: Napoleon: Total War (composed by Richard Beddow, Richard Birdsall and Ian Livingstone)Best Television Soundtrack: Any Human Heart (composed by Dan Jones)Songwriter of the Year: Benjamin DrewMost Performed Work: "She Said" – Plan B (written by Eric Appapoulay, Richard Cassell, Benjamin Drew and Tom Wright-Goss)Classical Music Award: Michael NymanInspiration Award: Dizzee RascalOutstanding Song Collection: Steve WinwoodOutstanding Contribution to British Music: Paul RodgersInternational Achievement: Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard & Christopher Wolstenholme (Muse)Special International Award: Stephen SondheimThe 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize was awarded on 6 September 2011 to PJ Harvey for her album Let England Shake. Harvey became the first artist to win the Mercury Prize twice.
The 2011 Popjustice £20 Music Prize was awarded on 6 September 2011 to The Saturdays for their song "Higher".
The 2011 British Composer Awards were held on 30 November 2011 at Stationers' Hall, London and hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenters Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Andrew McGregor, with the awards presented by Michael Berkeley. There was no award in the Sonic Art category in 2011.
Instrumental Solo or Duo: Sonata for Cello & Piano – William SweeneyChamber: String Quartet No. 2 – Anthony PayneVocal: Five Larkin Songs – Huw WatkinsChoral: Allele – Michael Zev GordonWind Band or Brass Band: In Pitch Black – Lucy PankhurstOrchestral: Fantasias – Julian AndersonStage Works: A Ring A Lamp A Thing – Orlando GoughLiturgical: Bell Mass – Julian AndersonContemporary Jazz Composition: The Green Seagull – Tommy EvansCommunity or Educational Project: Consider the Lilies – John BarberMaking Music Award: I can't find brumm... – Richard BullenInternational Award: La Mattina – Bent SørensenOutreach: PK – Graham FitkinThe 2011 Record of the Year was awarded on 10 December 2011 to Lady Gaga for her song "Born This Way".
4 JanuaryMick Karn – English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, 52Gerry Rafferty – Scottish singer-songwriter, 6314 January – Trish Keenan, singer (Broadcast), 42 (swine flu)]].16 January – Steve Prestwich, British-born Australian drummer and songwriter (Cold Chisel, Little River Band), 5626 January – Eddie Mordue, saxophonist, 8328 JanuaryRaymond Cohen, violinist, 91Dame Margaret Price, operatic soprano, 6930 January – John Barry, British film composer, 7731 January – Mark Ryan, guitarist (Adam and the Ants), 513 February – Tony Levin, jazz drummer, 716 FebruaryGary Moore, guitarist and songwriter, 58James Watson, trumpeter, 5914 February – George Shearing, jazz pianist, 9127 February – Margaret Eliot, music teacher, 978 March – Richard Campbell, cellist, 5515 MarchSmiley Culture, reggae singer and DJ, 48 (stabbing)Keith Fordyce, radio DJ and TV presenter, 8217 March – J. B. Steane, music critic, 8318 March – Jet Harris, guitarist (The Shadows), 7120 March – Johnny Pearson, pianist, arranger and TV composer, 8521 March – Loleatta Holloway, singer, 6429 March – Robert Tear, operatic tenor, 7231 March – Ishbel MacAskill, Scottish Gaelic singer and heritage campaigner, 7025 April – Poly Styrene – singer, (X-Ray Spex), 53 (cancer)29 April – David Mason, trumpeter, 857 May – Big George, arranger, 53 (heart attack)19 May – Kathy Kirby, singer, 7227 May – Gil Scott-Heron, singer, musician, poet, 6229 May – Simon Brint, musician, composer, actor and comedian (Raw Sex), 60 (suicide)10 June – Kenny Hawkes, DJ and music producer, 42 (liver failure)22 JuneCyril Ornadel, conductor and composer, 86Mike Waterson, folk singer, 7024 June – Goff Richards, English composer, 669 July – Würzel, guitarist, 6114 July – Eric Delaney, percussionist and bandleader, 8715 July – Cuddly Dudley, rock and roll singer, 8723 July – Amy Winehouse, singer, musician, 27 (alcohol poisoning)3 August – Andrew McDermott, singer (Threshold), 45 (kidney failure)15 August – Betty Thatcher, lyricist, 6710 September – Graham Collier, jazz bassist, 7421 September – John Du Cann, guitarist (Atomic Rooster), 662 October – David Bedford, composer, 745 October – Bert Jansch, singer, musician, 678 October – Mikey Welsh, musician, former bassist of Weezer, 4015 October – Betty Driver, singer and actress, 9118 October – Bob Brunning, blues musician (Fleetwood Mac), 6821 October – Edmundo Ros, Trinidadian band leader, 10028 October – Beryl Davis, singer, 8729 October – Sir Jimmy Savile, DJ, 846 November – Gordon Beck, jazz pianist and composer, 7524 November – Ross MacManus, trumpeter, 8426 November – Keef Hartley, drummer and bandleader, 676 December – Tony Fell, music publisher, 7912 December – John Gardner, composer, 94 
