TALENTED young pop artists are invited to enter a countywide competition to find the Worcestershire Pop Icon 2005.

Young people aged between 12 and 18 who attend Worcestershire LEA schools can compete for the title and there will be prizes for the winning schools in the two categories - solo and ensemble.

The closing date for entries is Friday, February 11 and a preliminary round of judging will select the finalists who will appear at Malvern's Forum Theatre on Thursday, March 17 at 7pm when the winners will be decided.

The event is being supported by Yamaha-Kemble, who will be providing the prizes, and BBC Hereford & Worcester, who will record the evening for future broadcast.

Young people interested in entering should ask their school music teacher for an entry form or contact Worcestershire Arts Education on 01905 333505.