Sir Karl Jenkins voted No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame for the first time ever

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Sir Karl Jenkins voted No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame for the first time ever

6 April 2026, 20:50

A brand new No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026!

There’s a brand new No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame…

For most of the Classic FM Hall of Fame’s 31 years, two pieces have battled it out to claim the top spot. Vaughan Williams’ pastoral elegy The Lark Ascending and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 have topped the chart a huge total of 23 years between them.

Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture have each had their short turn at the top. But in 2026 there’s a new piece on the block, for the first time in eight years.

Sir Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace has taken the top spot for the first time in chart history, after coming second to Rachmaninov in 2025, the choral work’s 25th anniversary year.

The Armed Man was premiered in April 2000 in a performance by the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall, with Julian Lloyd Webber as cello soloist for the much-loved ‘Benedictus’. The concert also marked the beginning of Classic FM Live.

Read more: Orchestra expertly pranks Sir Karl Jenkins with surprise ‘Happy Birthday’ at Royal Albert Hall

Dan Walker presents Sir Karl Jenkins with a gold disc to celebrate his No.1 entry in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Picture:
Classic FM

The top of the chart was revealed live by Dan Walker on Monday 6 April, in the grand finale of the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026. When told by Dan about the news, Sir Karl Jenkins said he had “gone all goose-pimply”.

He later told Classic FM: “I am deeply honoured to learn that The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, has been voted Britain’s favourite piece of classical music in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

“To become the first living composer to reach the number one position is profoundly humbling and gratifying, and to some degree, I am taken aback, when I reflect on the great masters, past and present, that sit below me on this list. As the cliche says, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before.”

He also reflected on the meaning behind the work, which remains a powerful reminder of the terror and tragedy of war.

“While it is with regret that I acknowledge that there has been no let-up in war and conflict since I dedicated the piece to the victims of Kosovo, we continue to make music in remembrance of those who have fallen and in the hope that humanity can find a way to heal.”

Read more: Karl Jenkins’ best works: the Welsh composer’s most beautiful pieces of music

Sir Karl Jenkins conducts ‘Benedictus’ at Classic FM Live

Almost 90,000 votes were cast by the public in the 2026 chart, with the Top 300 pieces of classical music being played on Classic FM across the Easter weekend.

2026 saw a record number of 40 film scores enter the chart, with Howard Shore’s music to The Lord of the Rings (8) becoming the highest-ranking film score in chart history. John Williams retained his title of most popular living composer, with seven pieces in this year’s Top 300, including Schindler’s List (13), Star Wars (53) and Jurassic Park (55).

Nino Rota’s The Godfather (295), Joe Hisaishi’s Howl’s Moving Castle (220) and Rachel Portman’s Chocolat (276) all made their chart debuts, with those pieces scoring Rota and Hisaishi their first ever appearances in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. Max Richter’s Hamnet (281) also debuted, after being one of the most talked-about films of 2025.

Read more: Max Richter’s ‘Hamnet’ soundtrack leaves fans in tears after Jessie Buckley scene

It has been a great year for modern composers, too, with 35 living composers contributing 65 pieces to the chart – both record figures. After John Williams, Classic FM composer in residence Debbie Wiseman’s six entries make her the second most popular living composer, followed by Hans Zimmer, Ludovico Einaudi, and Karl Jenkins with five entries each.

Mozart remains the nation’s favourite composer, with 12 entries in total. Tchaikovsky is hot on his heels with 11 pieces featured in the chart, and Beethoven and Bach are tied for third place, with 10 entries each.

Dan Walker, who revealed the top of the chart, said: “As the world’s biggest classical music chart, the Classic FM Hall of Fame celebrates the very best classical music, chosen by the public, and this year’s results show just how much that world continues to grow and change.

“Huge congratulations to the outstanding Sir Karl Jenkins as we celebrate a brand-new number one with The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace – it resonates with so many people and is one of those pieces which grabs your soul and won’t let go.

“It’s exciting that this year’s Hall of Fame features more film scores than ever before and we have never had so much music from living composers. From John Williams and Hans Zimmer to Rachel Portman, it’s wonderful to see how film music is opening the door for new audiences and helping even more people fall in love with classical music.”