Get out your diaries and prepare to put an excitable X on the day they call April 22. The Journal Culture Awards are coming and you won’t want to miss them. Sam Wonfor unveils the details

THE nominations have been collected, the closing date for entries has passed; the plot to crack things up a notch or five has been hatched... and we are now in a position to officially launch The Journal Culture Awards 2012.

Fuelled by a desire to shine a near-blinding light on the cultural output of the North East, and metaphorically shout about it until we are hoarse, we decided a bigger stage was required this time around.

And we think you’ll agree we’ve secured a rather special one.

On April 22, 2013, the World Heritage Site that is Durham Cathedral will offer a stunning backdrop for our annual celebration of the best of the region’s cultural offering.

Not only will this give us a breathtaking setting from which to bring the show, but it also enables us to throw open our arms and invite hundreds of people to come and join in with the celebration.

And yes, that does mean you.

As well as rewarding 15 individuals and events deemed to be the best in their given category for 2012, we really want this year’s event to demonstrate the passion for arts and culture across the North East.

So we want as many people as possible to bag tickets for the evening, to come and show their support and enjoy what we promise will be a show from out of the top drawer.

The Journal Culture Awards are about more than just telling the audience about the creative excellence we are lucky enough to have in the North East. We also provide examples, as regular award-watchers will be well aware.

Now we’re not going to put all our talent into one announcement basket, but we can tell you already that we’ve secured three top musical acts guaranteed to make even the most staid feet want to dance.

Leading the charge will be Sunderland quartet The Futureheads who thrilled a sellout audience at Durham Cathedral last August with their a capella concert.

Ross Millard (vocals and guitar), David ‘Jaff’ Craig (bass) and brothers Barry and Dave Hyde (vocals and guitar and drums respectively) were delighted to sign up to close the 2012 awards ceremony and will be recreating a sizeable chunk of their performance from last year.

Next up we have Mercury Prize-nominated folk outfit The Unthanks.

The band, including Northumberland sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, are known for melding vibrant story-telling with both the traditional and modern worlds of folk.

Their debut album, Cruel Sister, was named Folk Album of the Year by Mojo magazine in 2005, with their follow-up The Bairns nominated for the aforementioned Mercury Prize in 2008.

Meanwhile, the more recent Songs From The Shipyards project they have been heavily involved in traced the industry’s history from the 1900s to the present day, mixing archive film with music and songs.

Safe to say, they are a treat.

Last but certainly not least (and there will be lots more to come) are those legendary North East music makers Lindisfarne.

Founder member Ray Laidlaw and former lead singer Billy Mitchell, have put together a band and a show, The Lindisfarne Story, which promises to mix music from the band’s back catalogue with anecdotes and stories from a history spanning more than three decades.

This show will be taking place at Newcastle City Hall on June 8 as part of the Festival of the North East but anyone who is at the Culture Awards will be getting an extended extract.

All very exciting, we think you’ll agree ... and that’s not even it.

The event, produced in association with Arts Council England, will also serve as a flag-waving alert to the charms of the aforementioned Festival of the North East, which will run throughout June from Northumberland to Teesside.

Alison Clark-Jenkins, regional director, Arts Council England, says: “The Culture Awards celebrate the very best arts and culture in the North East – the people, the pride and the place.

“2012 was an unprecedented year of celebration with excellent art and culture at the heart.

“This region is home to a community rich with artistic skill and passion and we are proud to see talent and artistic excellence continue to thrive and be celebrated.”

We can’t wait to see you there.

:: To buy tickets for The Journal Culture Awards 2012 at Durham Cathedral on April 22 2013, visit 

www.mycultureclub.co.uk/tickets/ or call Ashleigh Smithson on 0191 201 6092.