UK festival awards announce date and venue and key voting change
aaamusic | On 09, May 2011
UK Festival Awards confirmed for 15 November at London’s Roundhouse
Important change to ‘Best Festival’ Awards Categories
London, 6 May 2011: Organisers of the UK Festival Awards have today announced that this year’s event will take place on Tuesday 15 November at London’s legendary Roundhouse venue.
Last year’s sold-out event saw AC/DC, Florence & The Machine, Paolo Nutini and Biffy Clyro honoured, with T In The Park Festival Director Geoff Ellis picking up the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Festival Awards Ltd have also announced some important changes to the ‘Best Festival’ award categories – Best Major / Medium / Small Festival, Best Metropolitan Festival, Best New Festival, Best Family Festival, as well as Best Toilets.
Following a period of consultation with representatives across the UK Festival industry, these categories will be decided by a judging panel made up of over 100 journalists and experienced reviewers who between them will visit festivals and score them on criteria which have been set by the industry through Festival Awards Ltd’s Advisory Board. The categories were previously decided by public vote.
The move is to increase the accessibility of the UK Festival Awards for all festivals. Each event will be judged on a ‘mystery shopper’ basis, on criteria including quality of line-up, campsite facilities, security, communication and value for money. The full list of criteria can be viewed athttp://uk.festivalawards.com
With the festival fans’ opinions a key component of the UK Festival Awards, a new online public voted category has been created – The Fans’ Favourite Festival. This new category joins existing public voted categories such as Headliner of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Best Overseas Festival and will invite fans to vote for their favourite festival of 2011.
“Changing the way some of the Awards are decided will make the UK Festival Awards more accessible,” says Festival Awards Ltd MD James Drury.
“We have worked hand-in-hand with some of the most experienced festival organisers in the country and hardened festival-goers to set the criteria by which these categories are judged. This means festivals are being considered on the key things that make up a good festival from both the fan’s and industry’s perspective.
“I can’t wait to find out who’s won at the UK Festival Awards ceremony at the Roundhouse.”
The UK Festival Awards were launched in 2004 and are a key staple of the live music and festival industry calendar. The Festival Awards Conference was first developed in 2007 following huge demand from the industry, and has established itself as a crucial business information tool and open forum for the UK festival industry, celebrated by leading promoters, festival directors and agents as an integral part of the business.
Combined tickets for the UK Festival Awards and Festival Conference are priced at £250 – for more information please contactinfo@festivalawards.com <mailto:info@festivalawards.com>
