THE search is on to uncover the best unsigned music acts to perform at this year’s Larmer Tree Festival.

The festival’s Breakthrough Music Awards will be returning in 2018.

There will be two performance slots up for grabs - one for a band and one for a singer-songwriter.

Previous winners have gone on to perform around the world on festival stages, as well as supporting major artists on tour.

From tomorrow, bands and musicians of all genres are invited to upload one track only, which will be judged online by music fans and festival-goers in a 48-hour vote.

The final will then take place on April 20 at the Winchester Gate in Salisbury with six finalists battling it out in front of a live audience and a panel of industry professionals, including Larmer Tree Festival creative director, Sarah Dennehy.

The prestigious prize will see winners perform on stage at this year’s festival, sharing the bill with a host of internationally renowned artists.

Already announced are First Aid Kit, Jake Bugg, Nadine Shah, Tune-Yards and Susanne Sundfør, and last week the festival announced a new wave of acts including Public Service Broadcasting, Songhoy Blues, Nick Mulvey, Ibibio Sound Machine and many more.

The 2018 festival will celebrate the 100 years’ of women’s suffrage with an all-female Saturday main stage, and guest curation by Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus.

There are also further announcements to follow in April across their music, comedy and theatre stages.

Creative director Sarah Dennehy said: “We’re really excited to see what talent we uncover with this year’s Breakthrough Music Awards. We have had some awesome previous winners and it’s such a brilliant way to celebrate new music.”

Colin Holton will be producing the 2018 Awards, as well as comparing the live final.

He said: “It’s great to have this fantastic festival back and I’m so honoured to have been asked to be part of the production team for such a prestigious Larmer Tree Festival event.”

Artists can apply at larmertreefestival.co.uk. The deadline for applications is March 31. All entrants and band members must be over 18, and be available on April 20 for the live final, as well as the festival itself on July 19-22.