UK Festival Awards                        (Events)

Around 1,000 guests arrived at the IndigO2 in Greenwich, London for Thursday night's UK Festivals Awards ceremony. The event saw 21 awards dispensed in categories ranging from Best Major Festival to Best Toilets.

Kenza Darley sees the winners            (3 Nov'08)

Music was, naturally, at the centre of proceedings with BBC6 breakfast DJ Shaun Keavney hosting and Ocean Colour Scene and Pete And The Pirates performing with DJ spots from Cassette Jam and Virtual Festivals DJs throughout the night.

The event saw the debut of the UK Festival Conference where over 100 delegates debated the future of festivals, spanning issues of sustainability, environmental impact and the challenges for next year.

Festivals submitted applications throughout the year to be nominated in the various categories. The voting stage tooks place over four weeks during which festival fans were able to vote for one nominee in each category.

The Winners -

Best Major Festival 

Glastonbury  26 June Worthy Farm, Pilton

Acts: Jay-Z, Kings Of Leon, The Verve

Contenders: Creamfields, Download, Global Gathering, Isle of Wight Festival, Leeds & Reading, T in The Park, V Festival

Best Medium Sized Festival

Lovebox Weekender    19 July  Victoria Park, London   

Acts: Groove Armada, The Flaming Lips

Contenders:

Glade Festival, Beautiful Days, Bestival, Hydro Connect, Latitude, Rock Ness, The Big Chill, The Wickerman festival

Best Small Festival

Secret Garden Party  24 July, E. Anglia                                        

Acts:
Grace Jones, St Etienne, Morcheeba 

Contenders:                         2000 Trees Festival                     Beach Break Live              Cambridge Folk Festival            End of the Road Festival               Indie Tracks Festival

Best Dance Festival

Glade Festival   17 July'08

Contenders:

Beautiful Days             Bestival                        Hydro Connect               Latitude,                       Lovebox Weekender         Rock Ness                   The Big Chill                     The Wickerman FestivaL

Best Line Up 

T in The Park  11 July, Balado Airfield
Acts:The Verve, Rage Against The Machine, R.E.M

Contenders:        Bestival                       , End of The Road Glastonbury                   Isle of Wight Festival Latitude                      Lovebox Weekender Reading                        The Big Chill, V Festival

“These awards are a fantastic and important addition to the awards calendar as they are the only ones dedicated to recognising the hard work and effort that goes into producing so many incredible outdoor live music events in the UK.”  Geoff Ellis, T in the Park.

Best New Festival

Camp Bestival    Lulworth Castle, Dorset
18 Jul 2008

Contenders:

Bearded Theory     

Mighty Boosh                 Festibelly                                Offset                                     The Hop Farm                           The Limetree                          Magic Loungeabout         Wakestock (Blenheim Place)

“It’s about time the UK festival scene had an awards show so we can all pat each other on the back and get drunk - but seriously there are so many exciting festivals and ideas out there to congratulate and this the first awards to do just that”
- Rob da Bank, Bestival

Outstanding Contribution - Michael Eavis

"These awards are a great way to get feedback from the people that matter - live music fans. It's a bit of fun certainly, but who does not welcome recognition? And for those that win prizes, it is a wonderful acknowledgement of all the hard work that is put in by so many people to make a festival successful.”           Michael Eavis, Glastonbury Festival

Grass Roots Festival Award  -Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Italian Gardens, Inverness-shire

Family Festival -  Larmer Tree Festival , Larmer Tree Gardens

The Greener Festival Award - Waveform, Liddington & Warren Farm,

Best Toilets - The Big Chill, Eastnor Castle

Yourope Award Best European Festival- Oxegen '08  

Best Headline Act - Kings of Leon

Festival Rock Act - Biffy Clyro

Best Dance Act - The Prodigy

Festival Pop Act & Best Newcomer - The Ting Tings

Festival Feelgood Act- The Mighty Boosh

Best Urban Act - Dizzee Rascal

Summer Anthem - That's Not My Name, The Ting Tings

Innovation Award - Standon Calling : hosted the UK's first festival underwater dance arena in a swimming pool

Most Memorable Moment : Jay-Z mocking Noel Gallagher with a rendition of Wonderwall at Glastonbury

What they said:


"Live music is all about the fans. For the fans to recognise and vote for our festivals is the highest accolade we can get”
- Stuart Galbraith, Kilimanjaro Live

"It’s an honour and a privilege to be sitting alongside an amazing line-up of Britain’s (and many will agree, the world’s) best music festivals in these categories.”
– Bob Angus, V Festival Director

“The coveted UK Festival Awards not only recognise what great events we have in this country but firmly puts the UK on the global map as leaders in their field when it comes to outdoor events. The number of people that have voted this year proves this and the fact that these awards are voted for by the people who attend our events makes them very special.”
– James Barton, Creamfields

RK__________________________