27 November 2011
Newsdesk
PRS for Music is backing Next BRIT Thing - a major music competition for young people aged 11-19 supported by the UK music industry, The BRIT Awards and the Government.
PRS for Music is specifically supporting the Composition award of Next BRIT Thing which is looking for young musicians in any genre to share their original musical works, compete in online charts and perform live.
The winner of the prestigious PRS for Music award will receive a day’s studio session with a top music producer in Strongroom Studios, Shoreditch - part of the world famous AIR Studios Group. The AIR Studios Group is the recording home for many of today's top artists including Coldplay, Muse, George Michael, Arctic Monkeys, Florence & the Machine, Patrick Wolf, Placebo and Pixie Lott.
The judging panel will consist of Simon Darlow, a top songwriter and musical director, Ellis Rich OBE, music publishing guru and former Chairman of PRS for Music and British film composer Julian Nott, best known for his work in the Wallace and Gromit films.
Many stars including Gary Barlow, Pixie Lott and Paloma Faith are supporting the scheme.
The other two awards are General (covering Pop, Rock, Urban, Folk and Jazz) and a Classical award.
Next BRIT Thing is open to all 11-19 year olds whether in formal education or not. It offers entrants a raft of prizes and money-can’t-buy opportunities, including the chance to perform in front of thousands and exclusive support and guidance from famous musicians and songwriters.
Members of the public can listen to the entries and place their vote via the competition website at www.nextbritthing.com, via Facebook at www.facebook.com/nextbritthing and by using the competition’s free iPhone app.
The regional events take place in the first week in February 2012, with the finalists going forward to the national final at the O2 Indigo in March 2012.
Young people entering Next BRIT Thing also have access to high-quality tutorials and resources to help them improve their skills, develop confidence and explore careers in music or other creative industries.
