The Manchester International Organ Competition was part of the biennial Manchester Festival. The Organ Competition ran from 1978 until 1986.

1978 - First competition

The First competition was held between 1 and 9 September 1978. The venues were Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....

, Royal Northern College of Music

Royal Northern College of Music

The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...

, Manchester Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...

, Birchfields, St. Ann's Church

St Ann's Church, Manchester

St Ann's Church, Manchester, was consecrated in 1712. Although named after St Anne, it also pays tribute to the patron of the church, Ann, Lady Bland. St Ann's Church is a Grade I listed building.-Architecture and setting:...

, St. Phillip's Church and Manchester University.
The artistic director was Geraint Jones.

• First prize - John Scott
  John Scott (organist)
  John Gavin Scott LVO is an English-born organist and choirmaster. He directed the Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral in London from 1990 to 2004. He now directs the Choir of Men and Boys of Saint Thomas Church on 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City...
  
  
• Second prize - Peter Sweeney

1980 - Second competition

The Second competition was held between 9 and 26 July 1980

• First prize -
• Second prize - Thomas Trotter
  Thomas Trotter
  Thomas Trotter is a British concert organist. He is Birmingham City Organist and organist of St. Margaret's, Westminster and visiting Professor of Organ at the Royal College of Music, London....
  
  , Patricia Snyder (joint)

1982 - Third competition

The third competition was held 6-11 September 1982.

• First prize - Michael Overbury
• Second prize -

1984 - Fourth competition

• First prize - John Keys
  John Keys (organist)
  John Keys , is a well-known British organist who was brought up and educated in Chester. On completion of his schooling, he was assistant organist at Chester Cathedral for 3 years, before becoming an organ scholar at New College, Oxford. There he was taught by Gillian Weir and Nicholas Danby...
  
  
• Second prize -

1986 - Fifth competition

• First prize - Andrew Lumsden
  Andrew Lumsden (choral director)
  Andrew Lumsden, , has been Organist and Director of Music of Winchester Cathedral Choir since 2002. Son of Sir David Lumsden, he trained at Winchester College, RSAMD and St John's College, Cambridge before taking up the position of Assistant Organist at Southwark Cathedral in 1985...
  
  
• Second prize - Nick Murdoch

After 1986 the Manchester International Festival

Manchester International Festival

The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...

continued biennially, but the organ competition was dropped.