An aspiring musician has won a prestigious award set up in memory of a veteran radio DJ

Louie Miles, 22, from the Butts, Walsall, applied for the Janice Long Bursary award on the suggestion of his mother Lisa, noting his excitement when he first received the response email.

The Janice Long Bursary was set up by Moseley Folk and Arts Festival in honour of the late BBC Radio presenter Janice Long, who died in December 2021, and helps to fund local artists who stand out in their career.

The young musician said: "My mom kept saying I should go for it. When it came through I was really excited, I got a response back in about a week or so, It was surreal I guess.

"The transition from being a young person in Walsall playing music in bars, to being at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), to winning this award, it's really amazing, I don't really show it much but I'm extremely excited."

Earlier this year the young musician opened for the first Janice Long stage at the Moseley music festival, planning to again open for the stage a second time in 2023.

Mr Miles said: "It was really exciting, it was a wonderful experience, I have been to this festival a lot when I was growing up. It attracts audiences that really love music. It was surreal playing the set.

"It's easy to overestimate your own abilities in this industry and doing these things – but getting accepted to LIPA and being around people who were passionate musicians, it was really humbling."

Tickets to see Louie Miles and other artists live at the 2023 Moseley Folk and Arts Festival can be found at moseleyfolk.co.uk