Oundle singer-songwriter takes inaugural Rising Star award at Glastonblaby festival

A singer-songwriter from Oundle has scooped the top prize at a charity music festival in front of a sell-out crowd, raising money for a Gretton-based foundation.

Nick Hart, 24, won the Travers Rising Stars at Glastonblaby 2021 after performing a 15-minute set to the audience at Leicester Lions RFC in Blaby.

From the initial 27 artists, the finalists were selected to play for the crowd and an independent judging panel led by Kade Smith, 2018 finalist of BBC The Voice.

Volunteer-led charity The Travers Foundation provides financial support to 13 to 30-year-olds to help them realise their dreams in sport, music, and the performing arts and Kieran Forsey, trustee of The Travers Foundation and chairman of Travers Rising Stars, announced the result.

Kieran said: "We were delighted at the standard of the entries to this our inaugural Travers Rising Stars, and have a very worthy winner in Nick Hart. It was a very close result as all finalists were exceptional.

"We started Travers Rising Stars 2021 back in December 2020 during the Covid lockdown, and it's been a tough job reducing the 27 entries this year initially to the finalists and then to the ultimate winner."

Winner Nick now gets to travel to the Under The Apple Tree Studio, a venue was created by Northampton-born 'Whispering' Bob Harris of Radio 2 and Old Grey Whistle test fame.

There he will record a live video of his set. He also receives three days of studio time at Leicester's Yellow Bean Studio along with a professional photoshoot.

Nick said: "Travers Rising Stars challenged me, and I wrote High Road/Ordinary Hero, my opening song just a few days before the final. It was specifically to highlight the live performance, and I am knocked out that it helped me win today."

The Travers Rising Stars competition will return next year to the festival.

Kieran added: "I would like to thank Glastonblaby for hosting 2021 and for their invitation to return in 2022. Applications are now open for young musicians, and we look forward to another worthy winner next year."

To find out about the work of the Travers Foundation go to www.travers-foundation.org.uk.