Leila Harris announced as the 2027 Homophonic! Pride Prize winner
Midsumma is delighted to announce Leila Harris as the recipient of the 2027 Homophonic! Pride Prize, celebrating an exceptional new voice in Australian composition and continuing a proud tradition of championing LGBTQIA+ artists through new music.
Presented as part of the Midsumma Festival, the Homophonic! Pride Prize acknowledges and celebrates the art and achievement of queer-identifying composers from across Australia. The annual prize offers LGBTQIA+ Australian composers a unique opportunity to collaborate with an acclaimed solo performer to create an original work that premieres as part of Homophonic! during the festival.
For 2027, Leila will collaborate with acclaimed Sydney-based composer-performer and percussionist Niki Johnson, whose innovative practice spans sculptural percussion, contemporary classical music and performance art. Working with extraordinary materials including glass, mycelium, bread, concrete, rock, wood and water, Niki creates experimental works that challenge conventional ideas of percussion and sound. Her work has been commissioned by the Sydney Powerhouse Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and she has performed and recorded for the ABC, Sydney Opera House, Phoenix Central Park and Trackdown Fox Studios.
Together, Leila and Niki will develop a brand-new composition that will receive its world premiere as part of the Midsumma Festival 2027.
About Leila Harris
Leila Harris is a composer, songwriter, musician and music producer whose work bridges classical and contemporary music to create immersive, cinematic sound worlds. Drawing from an eclectic range of influences, Leila creates works that weave together artistic disciplines while uplifting diverse and experimental voices.
Her career has seen her compose across an impressive range of genres, ensembles and collaborations both in Australia and internationally. Recent achievements include receiving AIR's Women in Music Mentorship (2023), the Dots+Loops Composition Fellowship (2024), and Bangarra Dance Theatre's Next Level Mentorship (2025). She was also selected for a residency at the University of Southern California in 2023.
In 2024, Leila released her debut album, Monstrous Feminine. The following year she joined international theatre production Chasing The Wind with ConnectUp, developing the work at Teatro O Bando in Portugal before touring the United Kingdom. This year, Leila was selected for the Accessible Arts Songsmiths Program and TheLab @ UNSW, where she is creating the experimental theatre work Plain Bad Heroine, premiering in September.
Leila is currently completing a Master of Music (Composition) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
A celebration of queer joy
Reflecting on receiving the award, Leila said:
"I couldn't be more thrilled and honoured to be the recipient of this year's Homophonic! Pride Prize! I feel so fortunate to write for and work with such an incredible performer as Niki Johnson. It is such a delight and privilege to be given the opportunity to explore themes and nuances of queer joy, community and space through this piece. I can't wait to bring this work to life!"
A unique collaboration for 2027
Each year, the Homophonic! Pride Prize pairs the winning composer with an outstanding Australian performer, creating a rare opportunity to develop a brand-new wo
rk in close collaboration before its world premiere at Homophonic! during the Midsumma Fes
tival.
For 2027, the selected artist is Niki Johnson, a Sydney-based composer-performer and percussionist whose innovative practice spans sculptural percussion, contemporary classical music and performance art. Niki creates experimental and playful works using uncommon materials as instruments, including glass, mycelium, bread, concrete, rock, wood and water, transforming everyday objects into extraordinary sonic experiences.
Niki has been commissioned to compose and perform solo percussion works for the Sydney Powerhouse Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and has recorded percussion for the ABC, Sydney Opera House, Phoenix Central Park and Trackdown Fox Studios.
Niki Johnson said the collaboration was one she was immediately drawn to.
"Leila's application was so thoughtful and joyous that I was immediately excited by the possibilities of developing it into a work! I'm really looking forward to our collaboration and I truly believe we can create something unique, impactful, and sonically beautiful."
Homophonic! Artistic Director Miranda Hill said the annual prize continues to showcase the extraordinary breadth of Australia's queer composers.
"I'm thrilled to introduce you to Leila, the winner of this year's Pride Prize! The pairing with Niki Johnson will be magical. Reading and listening to the Pride Prize applications is one of my favourite times of the year, and I'm so excited to get to hear the music of today's LGBTIQA+ composers, and their ideas for the amazing Niki!"
About Homophonic!
Led by Artistic Director Miranda Hill, Homophonic! has been a leading voice for queer classical music since 2011. Alongside its acclaimed concert series, the organisation champions LGBTQIA+ composers through commissioning new works, regional touring, the annual Homophonic! Pride Prize Composition Competition, and projects such as RESPECT, which shares the stories of LGBTIQA+ elders through music.
The premiere of Leila Harris' winning composition will form part of Homophonic! during the Midsumma Festival 2027.
The full Midsumma Festival 2027 program will be launched on 24 November 2026.
