OSCARS Cafe Bar, one of the North West's most respected venues for bands, is launching a competition to find the most promising songwriter in the region. The prize for the lucky winner is a day recording at a Warrington's acclaimed Frog Studio followed by half a day mixing the sound. There will also be numerous prizes for heat winners donated by H W Audio of Bolton. Among the panel of judges is ex-Inspiral Carpets man Clint Boon.

Budding songwriters have been performing at Oscars at the Sunday acoustic nights for the last three years.

The competition is being organised by Gay Nuttall, who runs Oscars, and Alec Martin, the acoustic guru at the venue.

Anyone who wants to enter can pick up entry forms or write to: The Acoustic Session Songwriting Competition, Oscars Cafe Bar, The Wellsprings, Victoria Square, Bolton, BL1 1US.

Heats are expected to start on October 16. The final will take place on a date to be announced in December after series of weekly heats.

Gay said: "The great thing about this competition is that absolutely anyone can enter it. The judges will be looking for originality, melody and lyrical content."

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