ONE of the art world’s most influential figures will be among the prestigious names judging next year’s John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize.

Sir Norman Rosenthal, former Royal Academy exhibitions secretary, will join contemporary artists Ged Quinn, who was born in Liverpool, Goshka Macuga, Gary Hume and Alison Watt.

The UK’s largest painting prize, the John Moores, is organised by the Walker Art Gallery with a £25,000 award for the winner.

It is an open submission competition available to all UK-based artists working with paint.

Previous winners have included David Hockney, Peter Doig and Michael Raedecker.

The judging will take place throughout 2010 and will result in an exhibition at The Walker Art Gallery opening in September 2010.

Reyahn King, director of art galleries at National Museums Liverpool, said: “The John Moores provides a first prize of £25,000 and is a unique opportunity for artists to show their work in a major gallery.”

Littlewoods founder Sir John Moores, a keen painter, started the exhibition in 1957.