Nationwide Mercury Prize Art Competition

The Nationwide Mercury Prize Art Competition is an exciting national art competition for students studying art and design in the UK.

This initiative is part of Nationwide's wider Nationwide Mercury Prize sponsorship and provides an ideal opportunity to talk directly with students at over 100 art colleges and universities. It is another great way for Nationwide to support UK popular culture and local communities.

Art and design students are set the challenge of creating a painting or work of art inspired by or on the theme of music.

A panel of judges from the music and art worlds including musicians, artists and gallery owners judge and shortlist around 50 winning works during April and announce the overall winner and three highly commended artists. All the shortlisted works are then exhibited at a top London gallery.

The winning entry from the Art Competition is featured on the cover of the Nationwide Mercury Prize compilation CD, which is released in August each year. The winning artist also receives £5,000 and a further three highly commended works receive £1,000.

The winner of the 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize Art Competition was Mark Melvin with his piece 'Applause'.

To view the winning piece and shortlisted entries for 2007 visit the Nationwide Mercury Prize Art Gallery www.nationwidemercurys.com.

For further information contact the Nationwide Mercury Prize office on 020 8964 9964 or e-mail mh@nationwidemercuryprize.com.