ORGANISERS of an annual contest that gives secondary school pupils a taste of the music industry has announced that it is ending due to a lack of funding.

The AMP Awards started in Harrogate in 2007 and allowed music groups formed in local schools to play in large music venues as part of a “battle of the bands” style contest.

After proving a success, the contest spread to other cities, and the first Bradford AMP Awards took place in 2014.

As well as forming bands, pupils were encouraged to get involved in marketing, PR, managing the bands and photographing the live gigs, giving young people a full experience of the music industry.

After several heats, finals were held each spring in St George’s Hall, with the winning bands going on to compete in Yorkshire finals at local music festivals.

But the organisation has now announced the 2016 awards will be the last.

The winners of the 2016 Bradford contest were rock three piece Fail The Enemy, Shipley College’s entry in the contest.

Previous winners include The Rook, also formed in Shipley College, in 2014 and Take 4 & 7/8 from Beckfoot School in 2015.

A statement from organisers said: “Sadly, despite recently receiving the Duke of York Community Initiative Award and with countless testimonials from students, teachers, businesses and creative industry professionals, it has not been possible to secure funding to continue the programme and the AMP Awards Team have reluctantly decided to end any further operation for the foreseeable future.”

The event's main funders in the past have been Youth Music and Arts Awards.

The school’s business teams also helped raise money for charity through the contests, and this year’s awards helped raise £2,683 to build a pump which will bring fresh water to the village of Kachere, in the district of Mchinji in Malawi.

Music Director Josh Hill said: ‘It’s extremely hard for us to stop doing something that has been so successful and so widely appreciated and acknowledged by students, teachers, business mentors and professional musicians throughout Yorkshire.

“We may not be able to produce AMP Awards 2017 but we hope to keep evolving and to work with schools on an individual basis to continue what we know has been a valuable contribution to the creative output and ambitions of young people across the county.”