Give the Music Back recognised at the Third Sector Awards 2026

We’re incredibly proud that Give the Music Back, our campaign film highlighting the barriers people living with dementia can face when trying to access the music they love, was named a finalist in the Best Small Charity Film category at the Third Sector Awards 2026.

We may not have taken home the trophy on the night, but seeing the film recognised alongside some brilliant charity campaigns was a very special moment for the whole Music for Dementia team.

And for us, Give the Music Back has always been about much more than a film.

From Music Made Easy to Give the Music Back

The campaign grew from our Music Made Easy research, which looked at how people living with dementia and those supporting them access music in an increasingly digital world.

Our research with 1,000 family carers exposed a significant digital divide. Just three in ten older family carers were able to stream music with their loved one, while only 35% of carers aged over 65 said they felt very confident using technology.

It highlighted a frustrating contradiction.

We know how powerful music can be for people living with dementia, yet the technology that should make millions of songs more accessible can sometimes do the opposite.

Streaming services, smartphones, passwords, menus and increasingly screen-based technology can create barriers for people who simply want to put on a favourite song.

So, through Music Made Easy, we called on the creative minds of the music and technology industries to help change that.

Bringing the issue to life

Give the Music Back was created to turn that challenge into something people could see and feel.

The film follows the relationship between a grandmother living with dementia and her granddaughter, showing how something as simple as being able to play familiar music can create a moment of recognition, joy and connection.

At the centre of the story is a chiidren’s audio player, a simple, screen-free audio device originally designed for children.

We had already explored the potential of this technology through a pilot with 180 families affected by dementia, using specially created cards that allowed people to access m4dRADIO simply by inserting a card into the player.

The film asks a bigger question: if we can design technology to make accessing music simple and intuitive for children, why can’t we apply the same creativity to technology for older people and people living with dementia?

Give the Music Back was our way of taking that message beyond a research report and putting the human reason for change at its heart.

From a campaign to action

And the story hasn’t stopped with the film.

Following the Music Made Easy campaign, Music for Dementia and the Muses, Mind, Machine research centre at the University of Sheffield brought together representatives from across music, technology, broadcasting, research, accessibility and the dementia sector.

That collaboration has since developed into the Music Made Easy Taskforce, bringing industry and people with lived experience around the same table to explore how we can make music genuinely easier to access.

The Taskforce is now moving from identifying the barriers towards practical action, including work around inclusive design principles and a shared approach to improving access to personalised music.

So, while there wasn’t a trophy for Give the Music Back at this year’s Third Sector Awards, being named a finalist feels like an important recognition of a campaign that has already helped start a much bigger conversation.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring the film to life, everyone who has supported Music Made Easy and, most importantly, the people living with dementia and their families whose experiences continue to shape where we go next.

Because everyone deserves access to the music they love.