Jonny ManningNorth East and Cumbria
Getty ImagesBritain and Ireland’s top musicians are arriving in Newcastle for this year’s Mercury Prize.
Sunderland’s Lauren Laverne will host the awards, which will take place outside London for the first time, while North Shields’ own Sam Fender is set to perform at the event.
Fender is one of 12 artists shortlisted and it is hoped his act, and the award’s new location, can help inspire the next generation of talent in the region.
Middlesbrough country singer Finn Forster said he was grateful the music industry was taking a step outside of London as the North East had been “overlooked for so long”.
Forster was one of a number of acts who performed in the run up to the awards as part of the Mercury Prize Fringe.
“Everyone is incredibly proud of the fact that the Mercury’s coming,” he said.
“There’s such a high calibre of people coming, to be given an opportunity to perform for them at a fringe event is really, really exciting.”
He hopes his shows can inspire others from the North East to start their own career in the music industry.
The event has already proved popular with young musicians including the Mini Mercury Choir.
The group, made up of school children from across the region, performed Sam Fender’s People Watching to music industry professionals at the Tyneside Cinema as part of the Fringe.
Gareth Miller, from the North East Music Hub, said: “The chance for them to take part in it, be a part of it, and see that musicians can exist outside of London gives them a chance to look into the future and see what is possible.
“Some of these young people could be future Mercury Prize winners.”
The shortlist for the album of the year award was announced last month and included CMAT, PinkPantheress, Wolf Alice and Pulp.
When the acts were announced, chair of the British Phonographic Industry Yolanda Brown said this year’s Mercury Prize was more exciting than usual because she could see how much it meant to the region.
“It’s going to be a great celebration of the music of this year, focused on Newcastle and the celebration we are going to have,” she said.
“But to be moving out of London for the first time, this is how it’s done.”
