Teenage singer Charlotte Church and violinist Nigel Kennedy will perform at the first Classical Brit Awards in May.

The British Phonographic Industry is launching the new ceremony in to mark rising sales of classical music, bolstered by the publicity surrounding 14-year-old Church.

BPI chairman Rob Dickins said: "Classical music has, over recent years, spread its influence to encompass all kinds of markets and in doing so is reaching a much wider audience.

"The strict and somewhat old-fashioned conformities of the past have been eroded and music is the winner."

Also performing on the night will be Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, soprano Lesley Garrett, Cecilia Bartoli and the English Chamber Orchestra.

The awards will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 6 May and broadcast on ITV a fortnight later.

This year's Brit Awards proper - the UK pop music industry's annual awards show - take place at Earl's Court on Friday.