Whatever happened to the heroes? Well, from the huge numbers of top quality bands appearing in the pages of Box Office over recent months, we know that they're right here in Bradford.

Now, thanks to the Telegraph & Argus, your band - or your favourite local act if you're not actually a musician yourself - could win a dream ticket this summer: slots on stage at Britain's top music festivals in 2006.

So whether you think you're the next Kaiser Chiefs, Embrace, Franz Ferdinand or even the next Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick and Titch, you could find yourself vaulted to stardom through our Local Heroes competition, being run by the T&A, part of Newsquest Media, in conjunction with partners Virtual Festivals. com, Bandwagon. co. uk, HMV, Roundpoint and Yamaha.

Local Heroes aims to uncover grassroots talent and propel two top bands to national stardom by giving them the chance to shine in front of thousands of fans at six outdoor festivals this summer, including Global Gathering, Beautiful Days and Get Loaded In The Park.

The nationwide competition will be split into nine regions with bands invited to build up their own online community, in a similar way recent chart-toppers, Arctic Monkeys, famously shot to fame.

Bands and artists simply need to register on a dedicated part of our website - www. thetelegraphandargus. co.

uk/localheroes - where they will be invited to upload their tracks and create their own profile, before publicising the site to their fans.

Every time a fan listens to or buys a track or mobile phone ringtone the artist will be awarded voting points.

The artist or band from each region with the highest votes at the end of June will go on to a live national final in London, where two lucky winners will be selected to take part in the once in a lifetime festival tour.

The winning bands will also be given their own tour manager and roadie, professional photography and video coverage, and on-the-road reporting by Newsquest and competition partners Virtual Festivals. com.

Ross Purdie, editor of Virtual Festivals, said: "Arctic Monkeys proved that the internet revolution is now helping to discover new bands.

This competition aims to give artists in every tiny corner of Britain the chance to hit the big time.

"Any type of music is welcome and the winner of each region will be decided upon by fans, so it's all about bands galvanising their local fan bases to help them win. It's the idea that a previously undiscovered local band can be propelled to instant stardom, playing on the same bill as their heroes."

The rest of the participating bands will be left with their most vibrant fan base to date, with all of the tools in place to generate the greatest possible buzz for themselves without having to leave their hometown. The overriding aim of Local Heroes is to rejuvenate local music scenes across the country.

T&A editor Perry Austin-Clarke said: "We know there's bucket-loads of talent out there in Bradford and district.

Not everyone can make it to the top but we're certain many of our local bands deserve to be put on a national stage and Local Heroes is a fantastic vehicle for giving them their chance of a big break."

The registration website is now live and bands can register now and create profiles, upload their songs as MP3s and ringtones, and start building their armies of fans. There will be an administration charge of £9.99 to all registrants. Early submissions will give bands the best chance to get an early write up and advance publicity. Voting starts May 22.