GIT Award 2015 returns with launch at Liverpool Music Week’s closing party ahead of Kazimier spectacular

The GIT Award 2015 is back for its fourth edition with Lapsley headlining the launch party at 24 Kitchen Street on Saturday November 1.

Liverpool’s premier new music prize The GIT Award launches on Saturday November 1 2014 for its fourth successive year.

The process to find the 12 shortlisted GIT Award nominees opens today ahead of the special showcase ceremony at The Kazimier on Saturday 4 April 2015.

The GIT Award, dubbed by the NME as the ‘Scouse Mercury Prize,’ is the only prize of its kind in the UK, championing vital new talent within Merseyside’s eclectic music community, pushing innovative musicians right across the world.

The overall winner of the GIT Award 2015 will receive a cash prize of £1000 when revealed at the Kazimier on Saturday 4 April 2015.

The fourth GIT Award recipient will follow in the footsteps of previous winners Loved Ones (2012), Baltic Fleet (2013) and last year’s victor Forest Swords who collected his prize on behalf of reggae legend Lee Scratch Perry.

A special Inspiration Award, recognising significant outstanding achievement in Merseyside’s music industry will also be presented. The 2014 Inspiration Award went to the team behind Africa Oye while previous recipients include Hillsborough Justice Collective (2013) and the directors of the Kazimier club (2012).

This year’s GIT Award launch is on Saturday 1 November 2014 at one of the city’s most vital emerging clubs, 24 Kitchen Street, in the Baltic Triangle as part of Liverpool Music Week‘s closing party. It is headlined by the winner of the very first GIT Award One To Watch prize, Lapsley.

In a little under nine months, 18-year-old Merseysider, Lapsley (aka Holly Lapsley Fletcher) has seen her music played on Radio 1 and 6 Music, played Glastonbury, racked up widespread national print coverage and over one million plays on her SoundCloud page despite having yet to sign a record deal.

Alongside Lapsley, and in keeping with the GIT Award’s ethos, also performing at 24 Kitchen Street are a raft of artists who are gaining buzz in their home city and further afield. They include electronic artist VEED, experimental duo Queen Maud and avant-garde fusionists Chemistry Lane. There will be additional DJ sets by acclaimed Liverpool-based, Irish producer or:la.

Speaking ahead of her headline set, Lapsley said: “It’s great to be a part of the GIT Award 2015 launch at Liverpool Music Week. I love playing in my home town and having won the GIT Award One To Watch last year it’s wonderful to have the support once again.”

Launched at Liverpool Music Week in November 2011, the GIT Award, founded by Liverpool-based blog Getintothis is now an annual fixture on the Merseyside music scene, supported by musicians, industry figures and national media.

Among the judging panel during the GIT Award’s three years were NME, 6 Music’s Tom Ravenscroft, The Quietus, The Guardian, Liverpool Football Club, Q Magazine, Vice Magazine, Creation Records boss Alan McGee and the cornerstones of Liverpool’s music scene.

Liverpool Music Week director, Mike Deane, added: “It’s great to be once again hosting the GIT Award launch at Liverpool Music Week. Both organisations are dedicated to championing adventurous and exciting artists from Merseyside, reflected perfectly in our diverse GIT Award stage at this year’s Music Week closing party.”

Open to all artists and bands from or based in Merseyside, the GIT Award has showcased the region’s rich musical diversity, from the thriving hip hop scene to its electronica artists, from its long-established country and roots community to punk, folk and metal.

Getintothis editor and founder of the GIT Award, Peter Guy, said: “It’s great to be back for a fourth year. The GIT Award has consistently shone a light on the first-rate music emanating from within Merseyside – and it’s through the passion of the judging panel and the small but excellent team which put it together that those artists and their work are pushed to the forefront of the national music industry’s consciousness.

“I’m delighted to be teaming up with Liverpool Music Week once again for our launch party – the Award’s grown beyond our wildest dreams from that small gathering back in 2011 – I’m sure Lapsley and the other musicians will provide a tremendous evening of music on November 1.”

Musicians, bands and creative types who would like to enter for this year’s prize are asked to send four tracks to [email protected]

Architectural design based practice in Liverpool, ArchiPhonic, will be involved in production of the GIT Award and artwork, for more details visit www.ArchiPhonic.co.uk
 
Businesses who would like to get involved with The GIT Award can email [email protected] 

The GIT Award artists represent artists of the future – Yoko Ono

There’s simply nothing like it in the UK, the GIT Award does great things for new music in Merseyside – BBC Radio 6

The GIT Award illustrates just how colourful the music scene in Liverpool is today – Domino Records

The GIT Award is a great advert for Merseyside. It really helps to draw focus on the great music coming out of Merseyside – Heavenly Recordings

 If the GIT Award represents the new Merseybeat sign us up right now – The Skinny

About The GIT Award:

* Since founding in 2011 The GIT Award has been featured consistently on Radio 6 Music, NME, Music Week, MTV, The Guardian, The Skinny, Vice Magazine, Q Magazine, The Quietus, BBC TV, Financial Times, BBC news online, MOBO Awards.

* Industry coverage from PRS Foundation, UK Music, Music Week, CMU Daily (music industry newsletter), The Unsigned Guide.

* Partnerships with Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool Music Week, FACT, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, ACME, The Bluecoat, plus around 80 independent businesses within Liverpool.

* The GIT Award & Getintothis has been invited to host a stage for six consecutive years at Liverpool Sound City and four years at Liverpool Music Week – plus a two year partnership with Liverpool International Music Festival.

* The GIT Award has provided artists to play The Grand National at Aintree for three consecutive years.

* The GIT Award held a special celebration of Merseyside musician’s pop videos in conjunction with FACT’s the Art of the Pop Video.

* The winner of the 2013 GIT Award was asked to support Yoko Ono at her 80th Birthday Meltdown festival curated by Yoko at London’s Southbank Centre.

* The GIT Award has held launch parties at Leaf on Bold St and Oh Me Oh My on Water Street.

* The GIT Award nominees were – winners in bold:

2012: Bang On, Ex-Easter Island-Head, Forest Swords, Loved Ones, Miss Stylie, Mugstar, Ninetails, Outfit, Bill Ryder-Jones, Stealing Sheep, Tea Street Band and Esco Williams.

2013: Baltic Fleet, Barberos, By The Sea, Nadine Carina, Clinic, Conan, Dan Croll, John Heckle, Jetta, Tyler Mensah, Stealing Sheep and Wave Machines. Tyler Mensah picked up the People’s Choice Award

2014: All We Are, Circa Waves, Dan Croll, Evian Christ, Ex-Easter Island Head, Forest Swords, Mad Brains, Ninetails, Outfit, Bill Ryder-Jones, Tea Street Band and VEYU.

Press & Music industry praise for the GIT Award:

“The GIT Award is one of the highlights of the city’s musical calendar. It shows the strength Merseyside music has to offer, raises the profile of the city’s music scene, and attracts vast positive national coverage,” Kevin McManus, Liverpool Vision

“The GIT Award is a fantastic celebration of the music from the greatest city on earth,” David Pichilingi, CEO Liverpool Sound City

“The GIT Award is a fantastic breath of fresh air for Merseyside music giving new artists a brilliant platform to showcase their music to a national audience,” Paul Rogers, Liverpool Football Club

“The GIT Award artists draw on Liverpool’s musical heritage without living in the past – proving that even with its world-beating history, Liverpool music continues to forge ahead.” Andrew Harrison, former editor of Q Magazine

“The GIT Award is a superb showcase for the city’s diverse music scene. The Echo is delighted to promote new talent and champion the city’s rising stars,” Andrew Campbell, Liverpool Echo executive editor.

“The GIT Award showcases the rich diversity of music talent Liverpool has to offer providing a pivotal platform for new emerging artists while capturing the national media’s attention,” Wendy Simon, Liverpool Cabinet member for Culture and Tourism

“Musically speaking, Liverpool has long since stepped out of the huge shadow cast by the Beatles. It takes something as good as the GIT Award to let the rest of the country know and make them pay attention,” John Doran, Editor, The Quietus

“The GIT Award goes to show there’s no shortage of new music in Merseyside – we doff our cap to all those involved,” Shell Zenner, The 405

“Every year the quantity and quality of Liverpool music grows, it’s great that the GIT Award continues to showcase and award the very best of it. I am happy to be on board again to help with the selection process” – Yaw Owusu, LIMF Curator & the playmaker group

“Liverpool’s musical heritage is great but Liverpool’s future is more interesting. I love GIT for the glimpse it gives of Liverpool’s musical future,” Paul Du Noyer, author of Liverpool Wondrous Place and music journalist.

“The GIT Award has a rich history of selecting the finest new music from Merseyside and placing it on the radar of those that matter on a national scale,” Skiddle.

Photos by Marie Hazelwood, Sakura, Matt Thomas, Conor McDonnell, Gaz Jones, Tom Adam and Keith Ainsworth

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