Soloists and groups have made it through the final stages of this year’s Gigs Champion competition

Eighteen young musicians from Brent hope to hit the right notes to be crowned this year’s Gigs Champion.

The talented solo acts and groups, all aged 11-25, are part of 200 hopefuls picked from 4,000 entrants for the country’s biggest music competitions organised by the Mayor of London.

The youngsters will be playing showcasing their talents across the capital by playing at the underground and top tourist spots such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd’s Bush and Green Park, for the Prudential RideLondon cycling event.

This year’s competition attracted more than three times as many as in 2012 with an array of entrants from soloists, groups and choirs covering many styles, from pop to classical and country to hip hop.

There will be a winner in each category (soloists and duos, groups, and youth) and one act will be crowned Gigs Champion 2013.

There are also runner-up prizes up to help winners develop their music careers including the chance to head to Paris and busk around the French capital, a coveted licence to busk on the Tube, and a one-year tailored course at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.

There will also be a prize for best original song with the winner receiving support from a top writer and producer to develop their song-writing skills.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “Our city has a musical heritage that is second to none and it is vital that we nurture budding talent to help them scale the heights – there might even be an Adele or Mumford and Sons in the making.”

Visit www.gigsbigbusk.com to vote for your favourite act until 31 August.

The grand final, featuring 18 entrants will take place on September 8 at Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd’s Bust from 12pm.

To see pictures of the some of the finalists from Brent click on the photo gallery.