A YOUNG North-East rock guitarist has been nominated for blues music's equivalent of a Grammy award.

Pete Shoulder, 22, from Waldridge Fell, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, is the frontman of rock trio Winterville, who released their debut album last year.

He has been jointly nominated in the song of the year category of the Blues Foundation's 2006 Blues Music Awards, which will be presented in Memphis, Tennessee, in May.

He wrote the song Think of Me, with Jon Tiven and Milton Campbell, which was recorded by the veteran bluesman Little Milton - who died recently - and was the title track of his last album.

The album, which features other songs and guitar performances by Mr Shoulder, is up for album of the year, and Little Milton is up for the BB King entertainer of the year, soul blues album of the year and male artist of the year awards.

Mr Shoulder wrote the song while working with Mr Tiven a couple of years before the start of his band. He was the youngest musician to play the Stanley Blues Festival when he was a teenager.

He said: "The nomination came as a complete shock. I didn't know anything about it until my manager got an e-mail from Jon Tiven.

"It is up for best album and I had three tracks on it. It is like the Grammys of the blues and people like BB King and Robert Cray will be there. Even if I don't win, just to get nominated is great.''