Organisers of a classical music award staged by Gramophone, the world's oldest classical record review magazine, are hoping to gain more mainstream appeal for their awards by assigning a celebrity to champion each of the six finalists.
Amongst the music competing for the title of Gramophone Record of the Year are works composed by Mozart, Vivaldi and Gibbons. Celebrities championing one of the finalists include Michael Portillo, Joanna Lumley and Simon Callow. Each celeb will state the case for their chosen album - an academy of critics, broadcasters and retailers will then pick the overall winner, while a public vote will take place online.
On the decision to introduce a celebrity angle Gramophone magazine editor James Jolly, told reporters: "Intensive listening and debate has produced a line-up of six of what we genuinely believe are the finest recordings of the year. We hope that this year's celebrity initiative will re-kindle an interest in classical music and the great musicians who have dedicated their lives to it".