Hilton Chanter™ Award-Winning Practice Chanter in 2025 Good Design Awards

We’re still trying to put the feeling into words…the Hilton Chanter has officially been named an Award Winner in the 2025 Australian Good Design Awards — a program that recognises global leaders such as Apple, Dyson, Samsung, Phillips, Mercedes, Porsche, Tesla, Qantas, and more.

This year’s Good Design Awards highlight not just engineering precision or design mastery, but the transformative potential of reimagined ideas — and the power of great design to positively change the lives of people and communities.

Pictured: Modern Piping Founders Lincoln & Heather Hilton at Good Design Awards

Hilton Chanter is built by Lincoln and Heather Hilton — a small team who poured years of work, risk, savings, and stubborn belief into this instrument. Lincoln brought the artistic vision, acoustical engineering, and the uncompromising bagpiping standard he’s known for. Heather brought the operational organization, management, and sheer force of will that kept the entire project moving when the workload became overwhelming.

The journey was anything but glamorous. We built the first versions on a shoestring, working through countless prototypes, dead-ends, failures, and the kind of micro-adjustments that only a piper with a perfectionist streak would torture themselves over. It was years of effort, sacrifice, and relentless belief in a dream — and more than a few “are we actually going to make it?” moments.

On the night of the first launch, after weeks of all-nighters and final refinements, Lincoln was so exhausted he fell asleep at the laptop. Heather managed the website and customer messages as orders began flooding in from all over the world. When we realised what was happening — that pipers and musicians we respect and had never met believed in this thing we made — we both had tears in our eyes. Years of work compressed into one overwhelming moment.

There is personal meaning stitched into every detail of this instrument. The black edition, Shadow, is named after Lincoln & Heather’s dog — Lincoln’s companion through years of composing, rehearsing, and late-night design sessions. It’s a small tribute to where the inspiration began, and a reminder that instruments should carry soul, not just engineering.

“We never set out to make “a better practice chanter”.
We set out to make the Hilton Chanter the best-sounding practice chanter a piper can pick up that inspires you to play more and more — something worthy of the hours they devote to this craft.”
- Lincoln Hilton

Unlike most practice chanters, the Hilton Chanter is actually tuned — which means you get cleaner notes, steadier pitch, and a more enjoyable sound every time you play. It still plays exactly like a traditional practice chanter, just with far better accuracy and clarity.

To now be recognised by Good Design Australia, alongside companies far larger than ours sitting in a room with hundreds of engineers and designers that make products that keep the world turning, feels surreal, humbling, and profoundly validating. This award isn’t just for the product. It’s for the journey, the sacrifices, and the belief that piping deserves modern innovation.

Thank you to every piper who supported us long before this became an award-winning instrument.

Shadow and Solas are only the beginning.

Good Design Awards Judges Comments:

“The Hilton Chanter reimagines the traditional bagpipe practice chanter as a professional performance instrument. Reimagining a musical instrument can be a gamble - but it has paid off big time here. Great effort has gone into the sound as can be heard in the accompanying videos of the Chanter being played professionally, while the highly considered styling brings the Hilton Chanter into the 21st Century. Modernising an ancient instrument and gaining acceptance from musicians is no easy feat. The Hilton Chanter appears to strike a fine balance of maintaining traditional qualities while enhancing usability and playability with great sensitivity. A brilliant showcase of innovation and design impact. Bravo”

Full Good Design Review found here.

About the Australian Good Design Awards

The Awards recognise design excellence from around the world, across 13 Design Disciplines and more than 35 categories, spanning the built environment, product design, engineering, digital, social impact, policy design and many more categories.

Each entry undergoes a rigorous evaluation by over 80 international Judges, assessed against three core criteria: Good Design, Design Innovation, and Design Impact.

With a proud heritage dating back to 1958, the Australian Good Design Awards remain the nation’s oldest and most prestigious international design accolade, continuing to champion the critical role of design in shaping a brighter, fairer, and more sustainable future.

What Pipers Are Saying About the Hilton Chanter™

Early adopters of the Hilton Chanter™ — from beginner pipers to Grade 1 soloists and band leaders — say the instrument has completely changed how they think about a practice chanter.

“Hilton Chanter is a work of art, not just a chanter. It’s the most beautiful piece of piping equipment I’ve ever owned. I’m not in a band so it’s purely for my own personal enjoyment.” – Gordon Rae

“This chanter is MAGICAL. The sound quality is phenomenal. I’m the best sounding chanter in the room hands down. It is everything I was expecting and more. The moisture build up is virtually non existent and continues to play well after the other players in the room are getting cut outs.” – Jemyl Bosel-Cross

“I have been piping for over 20 years and in that time I think I have only ever heard 1 chanter that really sounded great.

Until I got this thing...

Absolutely blown away with how it sounds and plays straight out the box. Made to a very high standard, looks and feels fantastic and a pleasure to play.”
 - Hamish MacLean

“First and foremost, the sound quality is outstanding. The tone, tuning, and volume are the most consistent and balanced I've ever heard. I love a good Lincoln video and always wondered how much of the sound was enhanced. After playing this chanter for a few days, I can comfortably say the sound in the video matches reality, pure quality!” Joshua K.

“Congratulations Lincoln on what is one of the most attractive and best quality bagpiping products I have seen in my 45+ years of bagpiping. It's sound quality is excellent.” - Rod Smith

 Hilton Chanter found here.