Bring Brit Awards to Hull for City of Culture year, urges MP

Hull North MP Diana Johnson asked Culture Secretary Maria Miller to help take “great 
cultural prizes” to Hull in 2017 when it becomes UK City of Culture.

On her wish-list Ms Johnson also included the Man Booker Prize and the Turner Prize for contemporary art – and said she wanted to be “as ambitious as possible”.

Hull triumphed ahead of Leicester, Dundee and Swansea to win the title and will succeed 2013 winner Londonderry.

This year the Brits was held at the O2 Arena in London and included performances from Muse, Justin Timberlake and One Direction. The Man Booker Prize was also announced in London, with just the Turner Prize being held in Londonderry.

Ms Johnson asked Mrs Miller: “In line with the original thinking around the City of Culture status, can you help the city by making sure some of our great cultural prizes, such as the Turner Prize, the Booker Prize and the Brit Awards, come to Hull in 2017?”

Mrs Miller replied: “The City of Culture programme is a great way to showcase our great cultural assets outside of London and around the country. I will do all that I can to make sure that for Hull being City of Culture in 2017 is as successful as it has been for Derry-Londonderry.”

When City of Culture was launched in 2009 by then Culture Secretary Andy Burnham the idea was that the winner would host a series of national events. But it was later decided that the location of the events would be decided on a case-by-case basis. Mrs Johnson commented later: “Having a big set-piece like the Turner Prize or the Brit Awards would showcase Hull. We want to be as ambitious as possible.”