In 1993 the Lyons C Clarinet won the British Design Award for practical innovation.

"The Lyons C Clarinet has addressed all the factors which inhibit children from learning the traditional B-flat clarinet, its weight, size, cost, fragility and difficulty in producing notes, and remedied them." (JUDGES PANEL, British Design Awards)

"The company has addressed all the factors which inhibit children from learning the traditional Bb flat clarinet, its weight, size, cost, fragility and difficulty in producing notes, and remedied them. The company has taken a new approach to a conventional instrument without it being electronic.

This was a pioneering use of plastics incorporating a clever use of moulding. The result was a very robust instrument with a good acoustic quality." (Judges' comments, BRITISH DESIGN AWARDS)