A young Nantwich musician has made the top ten finalists of the Song Academy Young Songwriter 2016.
Josh Whittaker will perform live with the other finalists at Westfield London on Sunday June 12 during the Hammersmith & Fulham ArtsFest.
This year’s competition attracted 443 entries from across the UK and Ireland.
And 16-year-old Josh made it through to the final in the 13-18 year old category with his third original song, “Switch Up”.
The winner in his age category will be named on May 8.
Josh said: “I can’t really explain how it feels to be in the Top 10 songwriters of my age group, especially when your music is being listened to by judges like Tom Odell – “Another Love” who was one of the first covers I ever sang!
“Original music is what I want to be known for and this is a massive step in the right direction.”
Tom Odell, singer songwriter, said: “When I was 13 years old I started writing songs, and over the following years I became more and more obsessed with it.
“But the thing that always kept me awake at night was how to get them out there for people to hear them.
“This is why I think the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition is a great way to
inspire and help through this process, and its something I wish had been around when I was starting out.”
Director of PRS for Music, Myles Keller said: “This wonderful competition empowers young songwriters, enabling them to showcase their talent and offering them a ‘one of a kind’ opportunity to gain crucial feedback from some of the very best British songwriters.
“In the early stages of a career, this kind of help is like gold dust and really enables industry newcomers to build strong, sustainable careers.
“Music is integral to our nation’s identity and it is crucial that we nurture the next generation of songwriters now to ensure a creative future.
“PRS for Music is absolutely delighted to support such a positive and exciting competition.”
The Song Academy runs after-school sessions, holiday workshops, school workshops, birthday parties and an annual nationwide Young Songwriter competition.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “I am an avid supporter of activities that enable young people to nurture their musical talent, such as the Song Academy’s Young Songwriter competition.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for aspiring tunesmiths up and down the country to showcase their songs to music industry insiders.
“I wish all the young musicians that have taken part the very best as they develop their chosen careers.”
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