Dr Michelle Phillips Wins I Love Manchester Alan Turing Award

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr Michelle Phillips has been honoured with the Alan Turing Award at the 2025 I Love Manchester Awards.

Michelle, RNCM Head of Enterprise (Academic) and Senior Lecturer in Music Psychology, was presented with the accolade at Manchester Central on Tuesday 25 November in recognition of her commitment to defining the future of music through creativity, innovation, and enterprise.

Driven by a passion for evidencing music’s transformative power and equipping future industry leaders, Michelle was instrumental in the RNCM securing the 2023 Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurial University. She’s also instrumental in enhancing the RNCM’s research into music’s impact on health and wellbeing, including projects supporting people with Parkinson’s, and she continues to champion sustainability and social change through music. Her influence resonates globally as an internationally recognised expert in music psychology and a tireless advocate for Manchester’s creative community.

Speaking prior to receiving the award, she said: ‘Young people want to change the world with their music. If our work helps more of these incredible graduates to generate value, what more could we want?’

The RNCM had a strong presence at this year’s awards, with our flagship Session Orchestra providing the soundtrack to the night and our Young Explorers concert series appearing in the Most-Loved Family Experience category.

27 November 2025