Emerging Sunderland songwriter Eve Cole scoops prestigious Alan Hull Award and wins praise from Lindisfarne star

Eve Cole, 17, is the third Sunderland songwriter to win the coveted Alan Hull Award, an annual award of £1,000 given to an emerging singer/songwriter or composer based in the North East in memory of Alan Hull, the Newcastle-born songwriter and founder member of Lindisfarne, who died in 1995.

It’s the second year in a row that the award has gone to a young person from the city’s Young Musicians Project, following last year’s winner, Faye Fantarrow.

Eve, from Ashbrooke, is the third Sunderland songwriter to win the award alongside Faye and Martin Longstaff, who performs under the name The Lake Poets and helps run the Young Musicians Project.

The St Anthony's and St Aidan's Sixth Form student said: “Winning the Alan Hull Award is such an honour for me. With this bursary, I look forward to spending more time professionally recording and releasing my music. I would love to discover more about the world of songwriting and work with other artists in the future, to bring creative minds together to produce music that I can be both proud of and passionate about.”

Jo Cundall, senior advisor for culture at the Community Foundation, who oversees the award, said: “This fund makes a real difference to the lives of aspiring musicians across the North East. The calibre of the submissions for the Alan Hull Award is getting stronger each year but Eve stood out for her inventive and arresting lyrics.”

Lindisfarne’s Ray Laidlaw established the Alan Hull Award at the Community Foundation in memory of his friend and Lindisfarne bandmate to support young songwriters in the region.

Ray said about Eve’s music: “Although there are those that would disagree, I don’t think songwriting is something you can learn. Sure there is a craft to it, but the most important ingredient can’t be learnt.

"It’s a particular way of looking at and interpreting the world around you and it’s either there or it’s not. I heard that element in Eve Cole’s songs. Eve has that gift and she can only get better with experience. I’m looking forward to hearing more songs from her”.

The Community Foundation matches generous people with important community causes. Every year, the Foundation award grants to hundreds of small charities in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, and across North East England, through funds set up by a range of donors.

More on Eve’s music here.

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