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Countdown to the Arthurs 2019: Gillian Park

Ahead of the 25th ILMC Gala Dinner and Arthur Awards on 8 March, previous victors reflect on what winning the live music industry's Oscar equivalent meant to them

By IQ on 01 Mar 2019

Park (right) with Live Nation's Selina Emeny and CAA's Emma Banks at the Arthurs 2018

Park (right) with Live Nation's Selina Emeny and CAA's Emma Banks at the Arthurs 2018


He might look as if he’s been around the block a few times, but 2019 marks Arthur’s 25th birthday, so to celebrate his landmark silver anniversary, we contacted some past winners of the coveted statuette, awarded annually at the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) in London.

As well as learning what the arrival of Arthur meant to their professional lives (and where he resides in their homes and offices), we asked our alumni to share their hopes and dreams for the future; their most memorable ILMC and Gala Dinner moments; and what new Arthur category they might like to see in our annual awards show.

Following yesterday’s reflections from Coda agent Natasha Bent, MGR Touring’s Gillian Park – who was crowned the Most Professional Professional (the award for professional services) last year and in 2013–  weighs in…

 


Getting the Most Professional Professional Arthur truly means a huge amount! It’s the people I’m working with day in, day out who vote, and I know I drive them mad, so it’s good to know I must be doing something right.

I keep one of my Arthurs in the downstairs loo. The other was in my office but it was on the shelf behind me and I felt like I was being watched, so he’s back home as well now.

The most memorable moment for me at the Gala Dinner was, of course, hearing my name called out as the winner of the Most Professional Professional Arthur! And the Hoff putting in an appearance. Obviously.

“It’s lovely when someone comes up and introduces themselves to you because they’ve seen you on the stage collecting your award”

To be able to put faces to names and email addresses is invaluable. Especially for us bean counters! It lets people know that we really are human (I wouldn’t go as far as saying “normal”, but we’re definitely human). So, to meet the promoters, agents and managers you work with throughout the year is great. It’s lovely when someone comes up and introduces themselves to you because they’ve seen you on the stage collecting your award.

If I were to add a new Arthur, the answer is simple: there should be a ‘tour manager’ category.

If I could see into the future, I would already have won 120 million on Euromillions and be living on my own private Caribbean island by now – come on! When that day comes, Arthur will be coming with me, of course. But when it comes to hopes and dreams for the future, number one is that Brexit is cancelled (I know that by the time this goes to print, we should know one way or another but today is the Brexit vote in Parliament). Failing that, please refer to the answer above re: lottery win.

 

Other previous Most Professional Professional winners include Selina Emeny, Ben Challis, Martin Goebbels, Tina Richard, David Bishop, Willie Robertson and Bob Taylor.

 


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