Announced 12 May 2009

Out of a field that was particularly strong in books, two publications stood out. For its elegant writing, interweaving music with history, culture and politics, and success in placing music back at the centre of cultural debate, the jury gave the award to The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross.
John Tilbury: Cornelius Cardew - A Life Unfinished (Copula, an imprint of Matchless Recordings)