The GIT (Getintothis) Award is a music prize celebrating, championing and supporting the best of new Merseyside music.

Founded by Liverpool music blog Getintothis, each year figureheads from national and Liverpool media select 12 artists that provide a snapshot of the best new music from the Merseyside music calendar. The GIT Award has been dubbed by national media outlets as the 'Scouse Mercury Prize'.

Since its formation, judges have included The Guardian, 6 Music, The Quietus, Alan McGee, NME, Liverpool Football Club, XFM Radio, UK Music, Music Week, Tom Ravenscroft, prestigious internationally-renowned record labels Bella Union, Heavenly Recordings, 4AD - plus the cream of Merseyside music's industry figures.

For five years The GIT Award has held a showcase evening featuring all 12 nominees who perform live with special videos & presentations on the night. They have been held at Leaf on Bold Street (April 2012-2013) and the Kazimier (April 2014-2015) and Constellations (2016).

The winner has collected a cheque prize for £1000 – and the money invested in creative endeavours which have benefited artists, record studios, record labels and a vast array of Merseyside businesses.

A special Inspiration Award recognising significant music achievement is also given out on the night with past winners including the team behind the Kazimier (2012), Hillsborough Justice Collective (2013 - including special presentation videos from Kenny Dalglish, Jamie Carragher and Everton's Leighton Baines), Africa Oye (2014), Alan Wills and Deltasonic Records (2015) and Kevin McManus (Merseyside ACME/Liverpool Vision).

Past GIT Award winners are: Loved Ones (2012), Baltic Fleet (2013), Forest Swords (2014), All We Are (2015) and Bill Ryder-Jones (2016).

In 2014 the GIT Award founded the One To Watch prize which champions one young, emerging artist who judges recognise huge artistic potential. Previous recipients are Låpsley (2014), Louis Berry (2015) and Taya (2016).

Each year the GIT Award & Inspiration Award trophies have been made by a Liverpool-based artist; Sam Venables (2012, director of the Royal Standard), Jayne Lawless (2013 Liverpool art prize nominee), Mike Aitken, (director of Royal Standard 2014) and David Bannister (2015-2016).

The GIT Award remains the only one of its kind in the UK music industry and has received widespread praise and press internationally and throughout print, radio and online media.

* National coverage - for four years the 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, UK Music Magazine and much more.

In it’s inaugural year The BBC featured the GIT Award on its TV news stations.

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

* Blanket regional coverage - Upwards of 80 page leads in the Liverpool Echo & Daily Post, features on Radio Merseyside, City Talk, Best of Liverpool mag, Open Mag, Liverpool Vision, itsLiverpool Magazine, Culture Liverpool, Bido Lito!, City Central Bid Magazine and many more.

* In 2015, founder Peter Guy was nominated for Independent Music Champion of the Year at the Association of Independent Music Awards.

* Blanket online press from all major UK music & culture blogs

* All nominees from the five years have been given national press via GIT Award press releases or PR campaigns. In 2013-2015 all 12 nominees were featured in exclusive radio packages on BBC national radio. In 2016 press coverage was our best yet with 6 Music featuring the nominees daily across the Lauren Laverne show in the run up to the event.

* Partnerships with Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool Music Week, FACT, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, ACME, The Bluecoat, plus around 130 independent businesses within Liverpool.

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

* The GIT Award has provided artists to play The Grand National Liverpool Stage 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, Oh Me Oh My on Water Street, 24 Kitchen Street and The Buyers Club.

* The 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.

2015: All We Are, Circa Waves, D R O H N E, Gulf, Hooton Tennis Club, Roxanne Jones, Låpsley, Esa Shields, Sundowners, Xam Volo, Jane Weaver and We Are Catchers.

2016: Clean Cut Kid, Dragged Into Sunlight, Hooton Tennis Club, L U M E N, MiC LOWRY, Mugstar, RongoRongo, Bill Ryder-Jones, Stealing Sheep, Trudy, TVAM and The Vryll Society.

Peter Guy