Norwich Arts Centre is aiming for a third successful year in the NME Awards for Best Small Venue after being voted top of the Eastern region for the last two years in a row.

Voting is under way as the influential music magazine relaunched its search for the best and brightest small venues for live music around the country.

The awards are intended to give greater support to new music at a grassroots level and give a boost to the venues which host them under increasing economic pressure.

Norwich Arts Centre has stood out from the crowd ever since the inception of the awards back in 2011, scooping the regional award for both years, but admits competition will be fierce.

Jenny Allison, 36, marketing manager at Norwich Arts Centre, said: 'It is a little bit different this year.

'This time you will have to go to the NME website and input some details, going through a number of screens and signing up to their newsletter before you are able to cast your vote.'

A shortlist of nominations will then be announced in May.

Ms Allison added: 'It has changed slightly in Norwich because the Waterfront are now putting on smaller gigs so they might be included.

'There are also some fantastic places all around the east, like the Portland Arms in Cambridge. Competition is going to be very strong.

'We did not expect to win the last two years, so it comes as a really nice surprise that the public appreciate what we do.'

You can vote for your favourite small venue by going to nme.com/smallvenues.