单选题 .  Coventry has been named the UK's city of culture for 2021, a one-off opportunity to boost the economy, tourism, civic pride and access to the arts but also, its backers hope, a chance to be in the limelight and have some fun. It follows Derry and Hull as the third UK city of culture, a programme modelled on the European capital of culture concept, which had such a dramatic effect on the fortunes of Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008. The winner was announced live on television by the arts minister John Glen at BBC's The One Show. Coventry beat Swansea, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and the town of Paisley.
    David Burbidge, the chair of the bid team, said: "It's huge and just an incredible result. Most importantly, we are bringing this to the people of Coventry and they deserve this, so we are thrilled that we have been selected." He said one early survey showed 80% of Coventry residents supported the bid. About 150 businesses have also given the bid financial support, which may have set Coventry apart from other bidders. "Coventry has taken a lot of knocks over the years and this is the time for us to spring back and to show the world what we are made of. We have the advantage of being a very young city, seven years below the national average, which means more time to enjoy the success. We will make the most of this title and make everybody proud of Coventry," Burbidge said.
    Glen said the title was "an incredible opportunity for Coventry to boost investment in the local economy, grow tourism and put arts and culture centre stage". Each of the bidders had made spirited pitches reflecting on their cultural pasts and future ambitions. Coventry is the birthplace of the poet Philip Larkin, the thriller writer Lee Child, the singer Hazel O'Connor and the band The Specials, whose anthem to 1980s urban decay and rising unemployment, Ghost Town, was inspired by the city. The "Our Coy" promotional film reflected on the city's rebuilding and reinvention after the Blitz, the steeliness of its people and the boast "we shape, we make, we give more than we take".
    While Coventry celebrated, others reflected on what might have been. Paisley, with a population of 77,000, was easily the smallest bidder and had been one of the favourites. It was the first town to be shortlisted after the contest began in 2009. Its promotional film rifled on it being the birthplace of Paisley print, the musicians Kelly Marie, Gerry Rafferty and Paolo Nutini, the actors David Tennant and Gerard Butler, and Robertson's marmalade. The Scottish culture secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said Paisley's bid had been inspiring. "Despite just missing out they can all be immensely proud of their efforts, they have done Paisley and Scotland proud." Swansea, a city summed up by its most famous son, Dylan Thomas, as an "ugly, lovely town", was also shortlisted last time around. The winner gets ￡3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) but government money is also expected to be forthcoming. Hull was said to have received ￡15m in government funding as well as ￡3m from Arts Council England and ￡3m from the HLF. Importantly, the city of culture status gives leverage and access to other pots of money, public and private. It has been estimated that Hull has had ￡1bn of investment since it won four years ago, with an economic boost in 2017 alone of ￡60m. Hotel occupancy has been up 14% and train journeys up 17%.
    But more than bald economic figures, the status has given Hull a spiritual lift and changed perceptions of the city. The blizzard of cultural highlights over the year included a visit by the Royal Ballet, the first Prom outside London since the 1930s, the Turner prize, 3,000 residents getting naked and blue for a Spencer Tunick photograph, and the world premiere of a new Richard Bean play, The Hypocrite. The lure of the prize has intensified since the EU, post-Brexit, cancelled Britain's turn for a European city of culture award in 2023. That came after much time, effort and money had gone into formal bids from Dundee, Nottingham, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Belfast-Derry.
    The five competing UK cities of culture were visited by a panel of judges chaired by Phil Redmond, the creator of Brookside and Grange Hill, who headed Liverpool's European capital of culture year. He said: "The process has highlighted the depth and strength of culture across the UK. That made it difficult choosing a winner, but I would like to congratulate Coventry and I am sure they will build on the legacy of Derry-Londonderry and Hull and bring about a transformational change in 2021." The UK city of culture programme was introduced by the then Labour culture secretary, Andy Burnham, and has spawned a London version with the mayor, Sadiq Khan, launching a contest to choose a London borough of culture, the first in 2019.6.  According to the passage, the UK city of culture programme ______.