16-Year-Old Ellis Gates Crowned 2026 Zildjian Young Drummer After Multi-Round Poole Final

Ellis Yan Kei Gates, 16, of Morden in south London, won the 2026 Zildjian Young Drummer of the Year title at the Lighthouse in Poole and was awarded the adult-sized drum kit he performed on, which he brought home and installed in his garden studio. BBC reporting captures Gates calling the win “truly incredible” and describes a celebratory but cramped car ride back to Morden with his little brother, mum Grace and dad Ben.

BBC reports that the family’s return to Morden took place on 15 February after Gates “had just won” the contest, and Drumming News Network published a feature reporting Gates’s victory on 5 March 2026. Zildjian’s official results page lists “Winner - ELLIS GATES” and posts a public congratulations alongside invitations to “Stay tuned for updates on the 2027 competition!”

The Poole final unfolded in three distinct parts, according to BBC and AOL coverage: a two-minute solo, a play‑along to a backing track Gates had learned for a month, and a last challenge in which he accompanied a bassist and guitarist on a piece he had “heard only three times that day.” Those staged pressures were the crucible that produced Gates’s winning set and the adult-sized kit he now owns.

Judging at the final included Ash Soan, who is identified in BBC and AOL copy as a drummer for Taylor Swift, Rod Stewart, Tori Amos and Snow Patrol. Drumming News Network’s coverage also described the judging panel and event format, while Zildjian’s releases provide the official finalists and results lists.

Gates’s musical backstory is deeply detailed in BBC reporting. He picked up sticks at age two after his nan bought him a toy drum kit, and his dad Ben first got him into jazz and taught him piano. His mum Grace recounts that “When he was a baby he used to shake his whole body to drum beats,” adding “he’s got to be a drummer.” Gates told BBC, “Music is literally the most important thing for me ever since I was little,” and noted, “Over the years my main focus has been jazz so bringing that style and rhythm up to the stage, they found really interesting.” BBC also reports that Gates entered the Zildjian competition the previous year and did not win, which pushed him to improve.

Physical trophies and studio markers came home with the prize: BBC notes a “huge plaque” fixed to the wall of Gates’s garden studio proclaiming him Young Drummer of the Year 2026. Event photography credited to Dave Hughes/Avedis Zildjian Company shows Gates wearing glasses and a white jumper playing the drums, another image of him in a blue jumper with headphones, and a stage photo of Gates being handed the award while other competitors clap.

Zildjian’s published finalist lists provide the competition’s scale. The top 10 finalists, listed in forename alphabetical order on Zildjian’s results page, are Ellis Yan Kei Gates, Ethan Osahn, Jackson Walker, James Roland, Jamie Hilton, Karl Prah, Kingsley Asamoah, Oscar Robinson, Preston Conway Ssekandi and Thomas Fruin Ockenden. Zildjian’s full top 40 list is also published and retains the original capitalization used in its release.

Zildjian’s site pages surrounding the competition also highlight product lines such as the ALCHEM-E electronic kits and 400th anniversary apparel, offering contextual color around the brand behind the contest. With the 2026 title secured and his adult kit set up at home, Ellis Gates returns to daily practice rooted in jazz and the momentum of a national win as Zildjian invites entrants to watch for 2027 competition updates.