Renowned pianist Yunchan Lim has made history at the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
At only 21 years old, Lim made history by becoming the first artist in nearly twenty years to win three major honors: Recording of the Year, the Instrumental Award, and Newcomer of the Year for his debut album, ‘Chopin: Études, Opp. 10 and 25’. His album became the first-ever to secure three major awards, and Lim made history as the first Newcomer Award winner to also claim Recording of the Year.
View this post on Instagram
Lim expressed his gratitude, stating, “Given that 2024 saw the release of many outstanding albums, I did not expect this outcome at all, and I’m so grateful.”
Lim gained worldwide recognition in 2022, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 18. Meanwhile, his highly praised rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto from the event is set to be released as a live album on May 16, 2025.
Released in April 2024, ‘Chopin: Études’ garnered global acclaim, earning quadruple platinum certification in South Korea and winning the prestigious Diapason d’Or de l’Année award in France. Lim then took London by storm, making his Royal Albert Hall debut at the 2024 BBC Proms with the fastest-selling concert of the season. The accolades continued to pour in. Along with his BBC Awards, ‘Chopin: Études’ earned Lim the Gramophone Classical Music Award for Piano, and he was also recognized as Young Artist of the Year.
Charlotte Smith, editor of BBC Music Magazine, remarked, “In 20 years of BBC Music Magazine Awards, this is the first time that a performer has walked away with three prizes for a single album. And that the artist at the centre of these three prestigious awards should just have celebrated his 21st birthday is downright astonishing. But Yunchan Lim is no ordinary artist.”
Despite all the accolades and attention, Lim stays grounded — continually striving to find the perfect harmony between intellect and emotion, and allowing the music to tell its own story.
Written by Mansha Chauhan
Connect with us on Instagram | X | YouTube for more content, interviews, & news.
