The panel proposes to award the 2026 RMA Monograph Prize to Gurminder Kaur Bhogal for Sikh Kirtan and Its Journeys: Instruments, Theories, Technologies. We were unanimous in praising the book’s achievements, most obviously in terms of its contribution to the study of Sikh sacred verse within a broader field of enquiry addressing Sikh expression and culture. The monograph provides a novel account of kirtan that draws on extensive original research within a structure that emphasises the geographic and poetic mobility of this understudied devotional form. What is more, Bhogal’s elegant and thoughtful prose invites a range of readerships, from undergraduates taking their first steps in the field to experts awaiting the insights of a deft and generous author. 

The panel also proposes to award a special commendation for Lucy Caplan’s Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera. We were particularly impressed by the clear and engaging tone of the book given the archival and political complexity of its subject matter. We were also struck by how the focus on ensemble heralded by the title is carried throughout the work in imaginative and insightful ways, offering a model for future scholarship within and beyond the study of Black agency and American opera.