Media Trust, The Sun and The Scottish Sun have joined forces to launch Column Idol 2013, an initiative to find raw, undiscovered writing talent and get young voices heard. Fronted by Myleene Klass and Amy Macdonald, the competition offers 16-25 year olds the chance to be mentored by top journalists and have their opinions read by millions.

This year promises to be bigger and better, with two places for budding young writers to be crowned Column Idol 2013. As well as rolling out the search across England and Wales for the fourth consecutive year with The Sun, this year’s competition will also be launched with The Scottish Sun. A total of ten finalists will battle it out for the two top spots - one Column Idol for each title. Top journalists from across the two papers will mentor the finalists, helping them polish their ideas and support them as they write their columns.

To enter, young people must submit a short description about themselves, what they’d like to write about and why they deserve to be crowned Column Idol 2013. The entry form can be found at www.mediatrust.org/columnidol. The competition is open until midday on 12 July 2013.

There will be six finalists selected from across England and Wales and four selected in Scotland. Those shortlisted will present their columns to high-profile judging panels including The Sun’s Editor Dominic Mohan, The Scottish Sun’s Editor Andrew Harries and Lorraine Kelly. One winner will be selected in England & Wales and one winner will be selected in Scotland, both will receive the prize of having their column printed in their respective national newspaper in the autumn of 2013.

Dominic Mohan, Editor of The Sun, said: “Who better to write for The Sun than one of its readers. This is a great opportunity to become part of Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper and could mark the start of a career in journalism. We’re looking for someone with strong views and opinions who has the ability to express these with wit and insight.”

Katie Lloyd, Deputy Chief Executive of Media Trust, said: “We’re proud to partner with The Sun for the fourth consecutive year to find raw, undiscovered talent. We’re also delighted to extend our partnership to include The Scottish Sun this year, giving us the chance to give even more young people the chance to get their voices heard. We’re incredibly proud of Column Idol, through the partnership we give industry insight and expertise to young people who wouldn’t normally have access to it.”

Andrew Harries, Editor of The Scottish Sun, said: “Column Idol is a fantastic opportunity for young Scots to find a voice, build skills and self-confidence. I am proud to be able to offer them the opportunity to be heard in Scotland's biggest-selling newspaper with the support of some of the best journalists in the business. The Scottish Sun is committed to finding and investing in new talent and I would encourage all our young readers to have a go.”

The closing date for entries is 12 July 2013 at midday. To enter and for terms and conditions please go to www.mediatrust.org/columnidol