A BARRY man is celebrating a unique hat-trick - after winning a prestigious music journalism award for the third year in a row!

Simon Price, who writes for the Independent on Sunday, was presented with the Live Reviews: Writer of the Year accolade as part of the Record of the Day awards last Wednesday (November 28).

Simon, whose first foray into music journalism came with his own weekly column called ‘Simon Says’ in the Barry and District News when he was 16, said: "I have won it three years running now, and it’s got to the point where I’m wondering if they will let me keep it - like they did when Brazil won the world cup three times!

"The Independent on Sunday has a relatively low circulation compared with the likes of the Times and the Guardian, so to win an award against the bigger papers does feel like quite an accolade."

The awards night was held at the Victorian Vaults in Shoreditch. Welsh radio star Huw Stephens presented the awards, with Regine Moylett (PR), Miranda Sawyer (journalism) and Jill Furmanovsky (photography) all receiving Outstanding Contribution awards.

Simon, who grew up on Porthkerry Road, said his favourite part of the job is ‘being paid to listen to music’.

"I have met everyone that I have looked up to in music, from 80s stars like Boy George and Dexy’s Midnight Runners, up to Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson," he added.

“And it all started at the Barry and District News!"

He said in the future he would like to follow in the footsteps of his father Gary Price – who also wrote for the Barry and District News before forging a successful career as a radio presenter and producer for CBC (later Red Dragon Radio and now Capital FM), BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Wales.

"I would like to move into radio and TV," said 45-year-old Simon.

"I already do some guest presenting with BBC Introducing…, looking for new up and coming bands.

"I’m kind of following in my father’s footsteps!"