Events wishing to participate in either event can register their interest using the following online forms:

UK Festival Awards

European Festival Awards

Tomorrowland – winner of Best Major Festival

The best European music festivals, artists and promoters of 2012 were revealed at a sold-out ceremony, which took place at Groningen’s De Oosterport in The Netherlands, on the opening night of Eurosonic Noorderslag. The ceremony also included some of the hottest new European artists with performances from C2C from France, Norway’s Bernhoft and Jake Bugg from the UK who recently won best new comer at the UK Festival Awards.

Decided by a combination of public vote and industry juries, Festival Awards Europe is the only event solely dedicated to recognising the contributions and achievements of the event organisers and performing artists that generate billions of Euros for local economies and brighten up the summer for tens of millions of festival-goers each year.

This year’s awards were a heightened celebration of triumph over adversity in the wake of a challenging year, which has seen the festival market shaken by economic instability, claims of saturation, some high profile cancellations and the some of the wettest weather on record.

A record number of fans turned out to cast their support in the form of over 1 million public votes, showing that passion for festivals across the continent has never been stronger.

For the first time in Festival Awards history, electronic music arose to take the crown for Best Major Festival, courtesy of Belgium’s mighty Tomorrowland – widely hailed as the festival success story of the year. Dance music also triumphed in the categories for Best Indoor Festival (Sensation, Netherlands) and Best New Festival (Germany’s Electro Magnetic).

Best Medium-Sized Festival was won by Heineken Balaton Sound in Hungary (smaller cousin of last year’s Best Major Festival, Sziget) whilst the title for Best Small Festival was taken back by 2010 winners Tauron New Music Festival in Poland – a festival that took place in a disused coal mine, highlighting the creativity and diversity of Europe’s contemporary modern festival landscape.

Best European Line-Up and Artists’ Favourite Festival went to established giants in the form of German twin titans Rock am Ring/Rock im Park and Denmark’s colossal Roskilde, respectively, the latter approaching its 43^rd edition this summer.  The two most important industry-facing awards will both be taken back to Belgium with the team behind Pukkelpop declared Promoter Of The Year – a heartwarming accolade in light of the tragedies that befell the event when it was hit by a freak storm last year. And, as previously announced, Herman Schueremans from the country’s division of Live Nation received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The USA even managed to scoop an award with Foo Fighters voted Headliner Of The Year, whilst Sweden’s Lykke Ly seduced crowds across the Continent with ‘I Follow Rivers’ topping the polls for Festival Anthem Of The Year. Not content with just winning an award at the European Border Breaker Awards in the same town earlier that evening, Of Monsters And Men sealed their title as one of Iceland’s most promising music exports by claiming the award for Best Newcomer.

The full list of winners is:

The following awards were decided by the online public vote:

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL in association with Planet Festival:
TOMORROWLAND (Belgium)

BEST MEDIUM-SIZED FESTIVAL:
HEINEKEN BALATON SOUND (Hungary)

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL:
TAURON NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL (Poland)

HEADLINER OF THE YEAR: FOO FIGHTERS (USA)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR in association with Eurosonic Noorderslag:
OF MONSTERS AND MEN (Iceland)

BEST EUROPEAN FESTIVAL LINE-UP in association with ID&C:
ROCK AM RING/ ROCK IM PARK (Germany)

BEST INDOOR FESTIVAL: SENSATION (Netherlands)

FESTIVAL ANTHEM OF THE YEAR: Lykke Li – ‘I Follow Rivers’ (Sweden)

BEST NEW FESTIVAL: ELECTRO MAGNETIC (Germany)

The following winners were chosen by an industry jury, which included prominent journalists, booking agents, managers, artists and promoters:

THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in association with IVS and IQ Magazine:
HERMAN SCHUEREMANS (Live Nation Belgium)

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR in association with Audience Magazine:
PUKKELPOP (Belgium)

ARTISTS’ FAVOURITE FESTIVAL:
ROSKILDE (Denmark)

GREEN OPERATIONS AWARD in association with Go Group and Yourope:
WE LOVE GREEN (France)

Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder, comments: “This edition of the European Festival Awards has been a great and much needed celebration for the industry as a united whole. A significant increase in events rallying to take part suggests a healthy display of confidence, competitiveness and pride. The staggering number of public votes received shows that people’s appetites for festivals have never been greater. In the face of toughening conditions, the forecast still looks bright for Europe’s festival market”.

This loss of a true legend is best expressed by Claude’s own team, in the following message:

Dear Claude,



On January 10th, you left us! 
Only a few days after your accident in Caux-sur-Montreux, in your beloved mountains, overlooking the lake that you were so fond of.



You always had a sparkle in your eyes whenever you dealt with people. For all of us, who were fortunate enough to cross your path, you will always remain the one who questioned certainties. « And, why not ? » You would repeatedly ask the same question when we tried to explain why a project would not be feasible. Reality was never challenged only your wildest dreams. The Montreux Jazz Festival is the ultimate proof of that! But not the only one! 



Your audacity resonates in each one of us, a strong sense of generosity and sharing.
Thank you for taking us where we never thought we could go. And in your typical spirit, you left by surprise as if to remind us once more, that in life as in music, each great performance could be the last one even if the show must go on. You hoped for an exit that reflected your life, you succeeded this as well. We carry, and will continue to carry on in your spirit everything you taught us.



Thank you Claude.


Your teams of yesterday, today and of tomorrow. 

www.montreuxjazzfestival.com

The 2013 festival will still go ahead as planned.

This honour, decided by the Festival Awards board, recognises a prestigious 40 year career that saw Herman not only put Belgium on Europe’s live music map, but created one of the first and most celebrated major festival brands in the world, in the form of the 80,000 capacity Rock Werchter. Today, his company produces more than 180 concerts each year and other notable, award-winning festivals including TW Classic, Werchter Boutique and I Love Techno (winner of last year’s award for Best Indoor Festival).

Herman Schueremans began his career as a record company exec and rock journalist. At this time, in the 1970’s, Belgium seldom featured on the European touring circuit. Herman set about changing this and established an alternative concert scene that began to attract a new generation of live acts including Dire Straits, Talking Heads and Simple Minds.

It was the creation in 1973 of the Torhout/Werchter (renamed Rock Werchter in 1999) Festival that would open the floodgates and attract major international acts to the small country, turning it into a premiere touring territory. In the process, Rock Werchter grew to become one of Europe’s top 5 music festivals, consistently selling-out,, with a reputation for killer lineups (the event has been voted Best European Line-Up in the European Festival Awards twice in the past three editions).

Whilst Rock Werchter’s mighty stages have seen artists like U2, Metallica, R.E.M., Chemical Brothers, Coldplay, Editors, Muse and Kings Of Leon evolve from opening acts to headliners, Herman himself has risen to become one of the industry’s most respected and well-liked statesmen of the international live music business.

Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder comments: “We are honoured to present this award to Herman Schueremans, a creator of incredible events and a pioneer whose work has inspired so much of the vision and creativity, not only in Belgium, but throughout the entire European live music and festival market. Best of all, he remains so clearly a passionate live music fan above all else, and his guiding motto ‘music unites’ underlines all that is so special and important about this industry and why we were all so attracted to become part of it in the first place”.

Other industry tributes include:

John Giddings, MD, Solo Agency & Isle Of Wight Festival: “I have known Herman all of my career. He was the first person in Europe to help me with the punk bands The Adverts and X-Ray Spex. He was one of the first promoters to create a festival brand with Rock Werchter. He is a great bloke and a great promoter - he cares about the acts AND the audience. We could do with a Herman in every country. When it comes to famous Belgians, there is Tintin, Poirot and Herman!”

Paul Latham, President, Live Nation UK: “When you’ve been exposed to the loud and self-opinionated caricatures that many leading promoters have become it is like a breath of fresh air when you meet Herman. His quiet and unassuming manner masks one of the shrewdest and effective operators in our business. When I had the pleasure of first visiting Rock Werchter Herman and Yo were most generous with their time even though they had a myriad of better things to do. It was though I had been welcomed into a private garden party rather than one of the most storied European festivals. Despite decades of success in the cut-throat music business Herman maintains an active role in pursuing social justice for the next generation of Belgians through his elected office. A superb promoter but an even finer man, and I’m very proud to know him.”

Steve Strange, X Ray Touring: “Since I came into this business some 20 plus years ago, and was slowly but steadily working my way forward to be allowed to book my first shows in mainland Europe, Herman and his office have been possibly my greatest forms of support consistently up to date. Herman is a gentleman, he has always given me credit to expand my talent and build in his country. His support and kind words to me over the years have been an inspiration to me personally, and certainly helped to build my confidence as an agent. He runs some of the best festivals in the world, with backstage infrastructures that are unfound in most countries. Where else would you get silver service catering to the quality of Werchter for instance? Someone once told me he was the third most well known Belgian, as far as I am concerned, he is the first. Congratulations Herman on this award. It is so truly deserved. Love ya!”

Andrew Zweck, Sensible Events: “The things I like most about Herman Schueremans are not only does he have as much wisdom and experience in the concert business of anyone I know, but he is always calm and measured, so on the rare occasions that Herman asks for something, you know it’s actually necessary.  Above all, I like his sense of humour; even though he is one of the most serious and successful businessmen in our industry, underneath there lies a cynical, questioning streak, which makes him the wonderful character that he is!”

The award will be presented on-stage as the finale of this year’s European Festival Awards gala ceremony which will take place at Eurosonic Noorderslag on the evening of Wednesday 9^th January in Groningen, Holland.

Tickets to the event, from just €30 are available here.

First, the public-voted ones…

Best Major Festival – Bestival

Says Clash News Editor Robin Murray: “No other festival managed to successfully cover as many genres, touch as many bases, please as many people as Bestival. Matching enormous headliners (who delivered impeccable performances) they were able to impact a sense of quirky personality onto a bill which stretched the barriers of eclecticism. Sigur Ros followed by Stevie Wonder… no other festival on the planet would try something like that!”

Best Medium-Sized Festival sponsored by Eventbrite – Bloodstock Open Air Festival

Bringing bands to the UK that rarely play here, and giving unparalleled support to the unsigned scene, Bloodstock is the UK’s biggest and best Independent Metal festival. With a very strong team who continue to work tirelessly year in year out, coupled with the most loyal fans of any music genre, we have the recipe for what is a Very Metal weekend!

Best Small Festival sponsored by Jeremiah Weed – Y Not Festival

Y Not began life as a house party for 150 people that spilled over into a nearby field. Seven years on we welcomed 8,000 ticket holders through the gates, but has somehow managed to retain that early ethos of a gathering of people just having a good time, put together by the same people who set it up all those years ago.

Best New Festival sponsored by Access All Areas – Festival No.6

Festival No.6 is a festival like no other in a place like no other. Inspired by the fantasy world of Portmeirion, we set out to bring the village alive as the most magical festival site imaginable. No.6 is much more than a music festival, with an innovative arts and culture programme including spoken word, poetry, comedy, pop-up theatre, film screenings, aerial trapeze artists and a spectacular fire garden.

Best Dance Event sponsored by Peppermint Bars – GlobalGathering

GlobalGathering has become the UK’s most cutting edge and forward thinking electronic music festival, redefining the model of dance festivals by bringing together the freshest underground sounds and future headliners with some of the world’s most critically acclaimed artists. With Tinie Tempah, Chase & Status, Armin van Buuren, Skrillex and Friendly Fires headlining the 2012 event.

Best Metropolitan Festival – Camden Crawl

Camden Crawl is communally programmed by an incredibly diverse melting pot of the of the UK’s most prolific independent arts and music advocates. It brings all social groups and age ranges together to experiment with a wide array of cutting edge art and music genres within its affordable one ticket umbrella. There is a rock & roll euphoria that sweeps through the entirety of Camden Town centre as the whole community embraces and participates in the event day and night through the long bank holiday weekend.

Best Family Festival – Latitude

Celebrating its seventh year in 2012, Latitude has secured its reputation as one of the most highly respected and anticipated festivals of the summer. Using the natural landscape of the surrounding woodland and the lake to showcase its artists like no other festival, Latitude delivers the very best established and emerging talent from the worlds of music, comedy, theatre, cabaret, dance, poetry, literature, art and fashion.

The Grass Roots Festival Award – Green Man

Maybe its because of the incredible beauty of its Black Mountain location, the passion for music which draws musicians and music lovers back each year, or that its never strayed from its independent anti corporate stance which has made Green Man such a unique and magical experience.

Best Toilets sponsored by XL Video – Lodestar

Considering toilets are the most talked-about feature at festivals, it amazes us how few events go out of their way to provide excellent ones. Lodestar are a welcome exception and keep their attendees happy by cleaning their loos for 18 hours a day! That’s the kind of commitment that wins awards.

Best Overseas Festival – Benicassim (Spain)

Sun, sea, sand, Stone Roses… scorchio!

Headline Performance Of The Year – New Order at Festival No. 6

Rebecca Laurence of Virtual Festivals writes: “Iconic, tragic, bittersweet, anthemic, there’s no arguing that watching New Order performing their most famous, Joy Division song whilst images of Ian Curtis and ‘Joy Division Forever’ flash behind them is not only poignant and melancholic, but also full of hope. Fusing this sense of pasts lived and futures to behold, we can’t think of a more perfect band to finish off this new festival in its very unique, nostalgia-heavy setting.”

Best Breakthrough Act sponsored by Jagermeister – Jake Bugg

The Nottingham singer’s self-titled debut went straight to Number One in October, dethroning Mumford and Sons’ ‘Babel’ and beating Leona Lewis’ ‘Glassheart’ into third place. Infamously, Bugg later remarked: “It’s my job to keep that X Factor shit off the top of the charts.” For that reason alone he deserves this award.

Anthem Of The Summer – Django Django – Default

Tim Chester at NME writes: “Every so often a band such as this drops by as some kind of compensation for the fact that Clor no longer exist in a world where The Wombats do. Django Django offer an alternative oasis in an arid no-man’s-land of identikit indie. If this is their default setting, lord knows how it sounds when they’re going out on a limb.”

These categories were decided by industry juries...

Promoter Of The Year sponsored by Robertson Taylor – Gareth Cooper (Festival No. 6, Beach Break, Lollibop)

Decided by the Festival Awards Board. From founding of Snowbombing to having the vision to spot that a teddy bear’s picnic in Stoke Newington could sell 30000 tickets in Regents Park, Gareth Cooper has earned a unique reputation in this industry for conceiving new ways to create live festival entertainment – with great success. He is shareholder in Parklife, Lounge on the Farm and Beach Break Live but his most recent creation Festival Number 6 has cleared the pathway for how good new festivals can be in a worrying market.

The Extra-Festival Activity Award – Live From Jodrell Bank

Decided by the Festival Awards Board. Jodrell Bank is an internationally renowned center for astrophysics. The festival’s organisers used this fact to engage customers in science related content with the help of 80 scientists, a mars rover prototype, particle research and a live video link from the stage to an observatory in Chile! It all climaxed with a 76meter projection onto the Lovell Telescope during headliner Elbow’s set, featuring custom visuals made in collaboration between the band and the scientists. It all made for a truly unique festival moment.

Best Line-Up – Download

Decided by a panel of renowned UK music journalists. Hosting more than 100 acts over three epic days at the spiritual home of rock, Doningon Park, Download is the UK’s largest and loudest hard rock and metal festival. In a tough year, Download just went from strength to strength, selling out its biggest capacity to date and packing what has been hailed as one of the greatest rock line-ups of all time, crowned by thrash titans Metallica, metal legends Black Sabbath and electro-punk gods The Prodigy.

Concession Of The Year – Paelleria

Decided by festival organisers. Raves Bestival’s Rob da Bank: “The real deal for any festival – boasting genuine Spanish ingredients from the stock base through the finest Spanish chorizo to their juicy olives, it is some of the best festival food we’ve ever tasted and it’s all knocked up in a field! Combine that with always-smiling, dressed up staff who know their stuff and a kooky stall complete with Spanish postcards and we can’t think of a more deserving winner!”

Best Brand Activation sponsored by CGA – Southern Comfort Juke Joint

Decided by the European Sponsorship Association. Chris McCormick, Festival Awards co-founder: “In a product category with a long history of festival sponsorship and activations, the Juke Joint is a relatively fresh idea. The production values and theatre are the interesting elements with the brand not being forced. The follow on results of 82% of people who would try the drink again showed a genuine impact and this ultimately leads to more value for the promoter.”

Lifetime Achievement Award – John Probyn

Decided by the Festival Awards Board. Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder: “John’s contributions to event production have raised the bar in safety, comfort and enjoyment for millions of live music fans across the festival spectrum, worldwide, extending far beyond his own events. For this reason alone this award is overdue. However, I feel passionately that credit also very much due for John’s commitment to engaging directly with his audiences through digital channels as well as regular fan-forum meet-up events. This has been key to the stand-out success of events like Download Festival and has driven forward the evolution of the wider marketplace in no small strides”.

Click here for more testimonials and information on this award.

Bestival

Festival No. 6, the event that launched this year at the unique location of Portmeirion in Wales, has also proved a hugely popular choice among voters and judges, scoring the title of ‘Best New Festival’. Festival No. 6 triumphed further when British music legends New Order, present at this evening’s award ceremony, collected the prize for ‘Headline Performance Of The Year’ and the festival’s mastermind Gareth Cooper scooped ‘Promoter Of The Year’.

18-year-old rising singer-songwriter Jake Bugg beat off fierce competition from a shortlist including Mercury prizewinners, Alt-J, to the title of ‘Best Breakthrough Act’. Voters, of which there were a record half a million this year, chose Django Django’s incredibly catchy track ‘Default’ as the ‘Anthem Of The Summer’, while the coveted ‘Best Line-Up’ category, one of the few categories not vote for by the public, saw rock music once again coming out on top with Download Festival emerging victorious after much deliberation from the judging panel.

Ever a pressing concern at festivals, ticket buyers considering where to pitch up their tents in summer 2013 may do well to note Cambridge’s Lodestar festival that was bestowed the honour of ‘Best Toilets’.

As previously announced, the evening’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award was Live Nation’s Chief Operating Officer, John Probyn. Probyn collected his accolade in the wake of both an Olympic and record-breaking year, and following a continuing highly-celebrated career in the entertainment industry.

A colourful array of the year’s best festivals celebrated into the night as Camden Crawl, Latitude, Green Man, Bloodstock Open Air and Global Gathering also joined the ranks of the winners picking up awards across the evening. A full list of winners can be found below.

Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder comments: “It is pleasing to see so many first-time category winners breaking through this year and indicative of the dynamic movements in the market at this time. Much more than winning gongs, though, the Festival Awards are about celebrating and uniting the UK festival industry which, in these turbulent times, is more vital than ever.”

2012 Awards winners in full:

Best Major Festival:
Bestival

Best Medium-Sized Festival sponsored by Eventbrite:
Bloodstock Open Air Festival

Best Small Festival sponsored by Jeremiah Weed:
Y Not Festival

Best New Festival sponsored by Access All Areas:
Festival No.6

Best Dance Event sponsored by Peppermint Bars:
GlobalGathering

Best Metropolitan Festival:
Camden Crawl

Best Line-Up:
Download

Best Family Festival:
Latitude

The Grass Roots Festival Award:
Green Man

Best Toilets sponsored by XL Video:
Lodestar

Best Overseas Festival:
Benicassim (Spain)

Agency Of The Year sponsored by IQ:
William Morris

Promoter Of The Year sponsored by Robertson Taylor:
Gareth Cooper (Festival No. 6, Beach Break, Lollibop)

Headline Performance Of The Year:
New Order at Festival No. 6

Best Breakthrough Act sponsored by Jagermeister:
Jake Bugg

Anthem Of The Summer:
Django Django – ‘Default’

The Extra-Festival Activity Award:
Live From Jodrell Bank

Concession Of The Year:
Paelleria

The Greener Festival Award:
Croissant Neuf Summer Party

Best Brand Activation sponsored by CGA:
Southern Comfort Juke Joint

Lifetime Achievement Award:
John Probyn

This honour, decided by the Festival Awards board, crowned a momentous year for the world-renowned production boss, which had seen him direct the largest series of live music events ever staged by a single company in the UK in one summer, in the face of some heavy resistance from the weather.

John’s notable 2012 triumphs included saving the biggest and best Download Festival yet (100,000 tickets, sold-out) from a potential wash-out and then walking 144 miles from Donington to Hyde Park in aid of Cancer Research. It was there that he played host to more than a million live music fans (for Barclaycard Wireless, Hard Rock Calling and BT London Live – in support of the 2012 London Olympic Games). The weather returned with a vengeance and once-again threatened the events. This time John retaliated with 8 million litres of woodchip; the ground was saved and the show went on.

All this is but the pinnacle of an illustrious career that began in commercial radio events and has seen John Probyn rise, through his unique ability to balance the needs of the fan with the bottom line, into his position today as arguably the most respected, recognised and well-liked production executive in the industry, and Chief Operating Officer of the world’s largest live entertainment producer.

Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder comments: “John’s contributions to event production have raised the bar in safety, comfort and enjoyment for millions of live music fans across the festival spectrum, worldwide, extending far beyond his own events. For this reason alone this award is overdue. However, I feel passionately that credit also very much due for John’s commitment to engaging directly with his audiences through digital channels as well as regular fan-forum meet-up events. This has been key to the stand-out success of events like Download Festival and has driven forward the evolution of the wider marketplace in no small strides”.

Industry tributes include:

John Giddings, MD, Solo and organiser of the Isle Of Wight Festival comments: “I have always been impressed with John’s ability to make a show happen, against all odds. He has a practical ability and understanding of putting on a show that is unrivalled in this country. That said, he shouldn’t be allowed to talk to the press! I can’t think of a more deserving recipient”.

Tim Massey, International Director of the 46664 concerts in honour of Nelson Mandela says: “I first met John at Live Nation’s offices in Argyll Street in 2007 when we were starting to plan Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday concert and dinner in Hyde Park. That was in the days when the right hand lift always seemed to breakdown with people trapped inside. I remember one story of when John was one of those trapped and running late for a meeting (as it was told to me) and in true JP spirit he forced open the doors and clambered to safety rescuing the other occupants. It is this spirit of adventure, great humour and level headiness which John has always shown, that singles him out as a one off. He has been a delight to work with over the years, as have his awesome team and long may this continue, always with a few laughs along the way! Many congratulations John, you deserve it.”

Melvin Benn, MD, Festival Republic says: “It is hard to extend my memory to the point I met John it was so long ago but it was sometime in the early 90’s and well before the digital age we now live in and he was working for BRMB radio station in Birmingham producing shows. He and I didn’t cross over on anything particular that I can remember (he was in the MCP camp as I recall) and yet he stood out. He was obviously good at what he was doing (probably the only good thing about BRMB actually!) and has continued to be good at all that he does which is why he has gone on to steer Download, Wireless, Hard Rock Calling and lots of other things for Live Nation to be what they are now but he was also alright. He was personable and genuine and ultimately, that’s what resonated with me. He is genuine in everything he does. I liked it then and I still do now. He deserves the applause. I wish there were more like him. Great for Live Nation, great for his team and great for the industry. Cheers John.”

Jason Carter, BBC Head of Live Music Events adds: “A more than well deserved award for John, who has delivered some of our most special event moments for the BBC, particularly for Radio 1. He is always a pleasure to work with, whether that’s broadcasting from his shows, or building ours. But most of all a thoroughly decent person!”

James Barton, Cream Founder and President of Electronic Music, Live Nation, adds: “There are few more deserving of the Lifetime Achievement Award than John Probyn. His contribution to our industry has been immense, also his management of Creamfields in the early days helped set the template for us to follow ever after. He is great to work with, up for a laugh and a genuine all round top bloke.”

Bernard Doherty, CEO, LD Communications says: “John Probyn is a festival icon and the best in the business. This man could build and put a show on in the Sahara desert and yes I would be right there to publicise it. I have worked for John at Download from the very beginning as well as many successful years in Hyde Park. He is always in complete control, with an air of calm only comparable to a grand master… which is what he is. A consummate professional who never fails, at the end of a long festival day to have a smile on his face and is happy to offer you a bit of advice.”

Paul Latham, Chief Executive Officer, Live Nation UK says: “No site or task has been too big for John Probyn and all functions are carried out with his usual Brummie bonhomie. John has developed a world class team around him and is always keen to impart his knowledge to those that ask while learning more from those around him. Indeed 2012 was a seminal year for him as not only did he have the usual array of Live Nation festivals to oversee, he took on the creation and production of the month-long multi-site London Olympic Live sites, and still found time to take part in a mind-numbing and limb-destroying 145 mile charity walk with 3 other athletically challenged industry veterans to raise over £100k for respective charities. I am proud to have him as my right hand man, and a friend.”

Neale Coleman, Director of London 2012 at the GLA and the Mayor of London’s advisor on London 2012 adds: “John made a fantastic contribution to London’s unique Olympic and Paralympic summer. Working with the Mayor and many other partners he made possible the BT London Live Sites which enabled 1.5 million people to share in the spirit of London 2012. Without his energy, drive and determination it simply wouldn’t have happened.”

The award was presented as the finale of this year’s UK Festival Awards gala ceremony by Festival Awards co-founder Steve Jenner and saw a guest appearance by the Download Dog (pictured).

It is a period of transition and upheaval for the festival industry, characterised by turbulence and opportunity in the market. In order to most successfully weather the former and capitalise on the latter, festival producers must now work together to share intelligence and embrace new technology platforms.

If you have an interest in the festival marketplace, you need to be at the 2012 UK Festival Conference, bringing together the leaders in the fields of festival management and production, digital technology and market knowledge. The future of the festival industry starts here at the The Roundhouse, London, on Monday 3rd December. Register your place now.

Unmissable panel sessions will include:

IQ Magazine presents…
THE FESTIVALS EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING
> Tough times, cancellations, financial losses, brutal weather. Where do we go from here?

THE NEW BOTTOM LINE
> The festival economy is reformatting. How to make a lot of money from new and mutating revenue streams.

Robertson Taylor presents…
WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
> Bad weather dealt heavy blows this year. How to plan for the worst and limit the fall-out when it happens.

Mativision Presents…
HOW TO CAPTURE AND RETAIN AN AUDIENCE
> The black art of amassing an audience whose loyalties lie with your festival brand over your line-up.

The Association of Independent Festivals Presents…
HOW TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THE ARTISTS
> Generate value and feel-good factor for your acts without a big budget.

 Delegates will also receive:

Top industry panelists will include…

Click here for the full 2012 Conference Programme.

The shortlisted entries are as follows:

• Evo
• Jagermeister
• Kraken Black Spiced Rum
• Lucozade Energy
• Persil
• Ray-Ban
• Relentless Energy Drink
• Rizla
• The Southern Comfort Juke Joint
• Tuborg
• Vodafone

Chris McCormick, Co-founder of the Festival Awards commented “This year’s Brand Activation Award has certainly been the strongest to date judging by the applications. Festivals are a huge platform for brands to engage with festival goers, but more and more we’re seeing brands really understand the events and bring value to the overall consumer experience which is what the judges are looking for.”