Journalist blogger returns with 'Scouse Mercury Prize'
A music award dubbed "the Scouse Mercury Prize" has announced details of its 2013 ceremony after a successful inaugural year.
The GIT Award is named after the Getintothis blog set up by founder Peter Guy, a Liverpool Post & Echo sports journalist.
The judging panel includes Tom Ravenscroft, son of legendary DJ John Peel, Liverpool-born editor of Q magazine Andrew Harrison and Paul Rogers, head of content at Liverpool FC.
The main event will take place at Leaf in Liverpool city centre on April 19, where 12 shortlisted artists will perform.
The overall winner will receive a cash prize of £1,000 while a special Inspiration Award, recognising significant outstanding achievement to Liverpool’s music industry, will also be presented. Last year the main prize was taken home by folk/electronica four-piece Loved Ones.
GIT founder Peter Guy
Guy told Prolific North the idea for the awards originally came from frustration at the lack of coverage Liverpool's music scene was getting.
He said: "After five years of blogging, I noticed just how much quality music there was happening in Liverpool and yet there was so few media channels reporting on it, so I came up with the idea of The GIT Award to hopefully spread the message far and wide and give Liverpool music more recognition.
"After pinging out a few emails and making a few calls, the momentum grew and before I knew it we had 88 companies on board - from the likes of integral indie Liverpool institutions like Bold Street Coffee, Static Gallery and Probe Records to arts institutions like FACT, Elevator and the Bluecoat to internationally recognised players like Liverpool FC, Cream, NME and The Guardian.
"Then it all went a bit silly and the BBC, MTV and international media were getting in touch."
This year's shortlist will be announced in March.
