SONGLINK PRIZES AWARDED AT LIPA CEREMONY WITH SIR PAUL

Paul McCartney and the new Companions of LIPA David Stark & SongLink prize winner Cameron Warren Ellie Weinert (Songs Wanted, Germany) with Sir Paul & Anita Maguire David Stark, Steve Levine and Tony Platt Noddy Holder & Ellie Weinert David Stark & Hugh Padgham

London, July 2015: SongLink editor David Stark presented the SongLink Prizes for songwriting at LIPA Graduation Day on July 28th, the annual ceremony at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool attended by Sir Paul McCartney and other VIPs. This year's SongLink Prizes were awarded to Harry Murrell (of the band Tiger Factory) and Cameron Warren (of Native Kings), both new graduates of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts along with 280 other students of music, theatre, dance and business studies.

Sir Paul also inducted eight new Companions of LIPA including former Slade frontman Noddy Holder, Travis singer Fran Healy, top record producer Hugh Padgham, manager Scott Rodger (Quest Management), Gemma Bodinetz (artistic director of the Everyman & Playhouse theatres), theatre designer Conor Murphy, professor James Thompson and choreographer Sharon Watson. American law professor John T. Rago, who has supported LIPA through pro bono work for the past 20 years, was also made an Honoured Friend.

Other prize winners included music production graduate Saam Jafarzadeh, recipient of the 2015 Music Producers Guild Prize. Launched in 2010, the prize rewards the most promising student to graduate from the LIPA Sound Technology degree programme. Jafarzadeh was presented with his Prize by MPG ambassador Steve Levine and MPG education representative, producer Tony Platt.

The ceremony was hosted by LIPA Founding Principal Mark Featherstone-Witty OBE, who was recently honoured with the equivalent of a knighthood in Norway for the success of LIPA's regular intake of Norwegian students. The ceremony ended with Sir Paul giving his usual inspirational address to the graduating students, as ever reminiscing about his time at LIPA's premises when it was his old school, the Liverpool Institute which he attended in the 1950's along with a young George Harrison.

Having also recently opened a primary school for youngsters, LIPA's current plans include a 6th Form College to open in September 2016 in the next door premises of the old John Moores' Art School at No. 70 Mount Street, which John Lennon attended. See the LIPA website for full details, enrollment deadlines and other news at www.lipa.ac.uk