The Kathleen Ferrier Awards and No Fuss Websites.com have announced a new sponsorship deal. In a first for arts sponsorship, No Fuss have not only developed www.FerrierAwards.org.uk, but will also donate a website each year to the winner of the first prize.

Dr. Ian McDonald, Managing Director of No Fuss, said “The Ferrier Awards have been helping young singers to get started professionally since 1956. We hope that the websites we create will be another way of bringing Ferrier winners to public attention.”

Martin Williams, a Trustee of the Fund, said “No Fuss lived up to their name and showed a real understanding of the particular needs of the charity and of the profession.”

The winner of the 2000 first prize, 28-year-old Canadian soprano Gillian Keith, will be the first to benefit. “I think that the idea of sponsoring the winner with a website is fantastic and 100% practical.” she commented, “It's the sort of thing that an artist needs these days, but often doesn't have the time to do for themselves. It's a hugely positive addition to the prize which I'm sure every winner will find extremely useful.”

No Fuss Websites.com (www.nofusswebsites.com) is a new internet development company specialising in classical music.

The Kathleen Ferrier Awards are one of Britain's most prestigious singing awards, and held each year by the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Fund to celebrate the life of this much-loved singer.