Countdown to LIVE Awards 2024 as first winner named
As The LIVE Awards 2024 draws closer, the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award has been revealed.
Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of the MOBO Group, will receive the top honour of the evening for her role in driving forward and improving the UK’s live music business.
Since 1996, the UK’s MOBO Awards has celebrated music of black origin such as Hip Hop, Grime, RnB/Soul, Reggae, Jazz, Gospel, and African music.
MOBO is said to have played an “instrumental role” in the careers of numerous UK artists such as Stormzy, Craig David, Rita Ora, Ms Dynamite, Krept and Konan, Chip and Kano.
Beyond the awards, MOBO supports undiscovered talent in music via MOBO UnSung, and across the wider creative industries via the MOBO Season and MOBOvation Talks. Meanwhile, its newly established charity, MOBO Trust, aims to support young people in the creative industries via a MOBO Fund and an all-new MOBO Academy.
“At MOBO, we’ve always believed in the transformative power of live events”
“It’s an honour to be named the 2024 recipient of the LIVEtime Achievement Award, and I am incredibly thankful to LIVE for this recognition,” says Kanya King CBE, founder & CEO of The MOBO Group.
“At MOBO, we’ve always believed in the transformative power of live events—not just as a showcase for music but as a vehicle for change. Whether it’s supporting the NHS in saving lives or using the MOBO Fringe Festival to lower school exclusion rates, we strive to ensure our events leave a lasting legacy. This award is a tribute to everyone who shares that vision, and I look forward to celebrating with the live music community on December 11th.”
Gaby Cartwright, head of partnerships at LIVE & The LIVE Awards, adds: “Kanya is a worthy recipient of our most prestigious award. She is a true trailblazer and her work promoting and staging so many music, film and entertainment events, including the groundbreaking and hugely influential MOBO Awards over almost three decades, is testament to her talent, tenacity and vision. We can’t wait to celebrate her career!”
The third annual instalment of The LIVE Awards will take place on Wednesday 11 December at Troxy in east London.
The Awards span 14 categories paying tribute to venues, promoters, agents, ticketing companies, grassroots venues, festivals, production suppliers, brand partnerships and more.
View the full list of 2024 finalists here. Tickets to the event, which is in association with Skiddle, are also on sale now on the website.
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Date revealed for 2024 LIVE Awards
The 2024 LIVE Awards will take place on Wednesday 11 December at Troxy in East London, it has been confirmed.
The third annual event will welcome more than 600 guests from across the live music sector including promoters, venues, agents, festivals and artist managers.
Nominations, which can be submitted online will open on 8 July and close on 11 October. Shortlists for each category, which will be chosen by a panel of industry experts, will then be announced on 21 October.
Tables and individual seats for the awards are now available and include a drinks reception, dinner with wine and petit fours, three hours of complimentary drinks, and an afterparty.
UK-based ticketing company Skiddle has been announced as The LIVE Awards new headline sponsor, joining the event’s other primary sponsors Ticketmaster, PRS for Music, PPL and Equals Money.
“We are delighted to demonstrate our ongoing support for live music by becoming the headline sponsor and official ticketing partner of these important awards, which celebrate and recognise the individuals and companies doing amazing things across our sector,” says Duncan King, Skiddle’s head of festivals and partnerships.
“We will be recognising some of the biggest and most influential names in live music”
LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment) is the voice of the UK’s live music and entertainment business, representing a federation of 16 live music industry associations.
“This year we will be taking The LIVE Awards to a new level with our production partners, who include LS Events, Universal Pixels, Lighthouse and James Wilson Events, building on the success of previous years,” adds Gaby Cartwright, head of partnerships for LIVE and The LIVE Awards. “We will be recognising some of the biggest and most influential names in live music and of course celebrating achievements from across the sector during the preceding 12 months.
“We are also really pleased to welcome Skiddle as our headline sponsors and ticketing partners this year. They are passionate advocates for live music and theirs and our other four primary partner’s support is much appreciated.”
As LIVE’s primary annual fundraising event, all proceeds from the awards will go towards directly supporting the trade body’s ongoing work engaging government on a range of sector issues, as well as supporting members to meet their sustainability goals while fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive working environment.
A limited amount of sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s LIVE Awards. Interested parties should contact Gaby Cartwright on [email protected] for more information.
Tickets for the LIVE Awards 2024 can be purchased here.
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Cream of the UK biz honoured at first LIVE Awards
The UK live music industry came together to celebrate outstanding talent and achievements across the sector at last night’s inaugural LIVE Awards.
Held at The Brewery in London, trade body LIVE welcomed 450 representatives from every corner of the sector to highlight excellence throughout 2022 while looking forward to 2023.
The 14 award winners, decided by a panel of industry experts, included Reading & Leeds festivals, The O2, Bluedot, CAA, One Fiinix Live, and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow.
The event ended with the awarding of the first LIVEtime achievement award to Kennedy Street Enterprises owner and promoter Danny Betesh, whose seven decade-long career has seen him work with the likes of The Beatles, Take That, and Meat Loaf.
“The hangover from the effect of Covid, cost-of-living crisis, and rapidly rising costs have not stopped our industry from delivering memorable occasions to people in record numbers”
“The inaugural LIVE awards was a truly excellent evening which gave us the opportunity to recognise and reward those who have really raised the bar in 2022,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “The hangover from the effect of Covid, cost-of-living crisis, and rapidly rising costs have not stopped our industry from delivering memorable occasions to people in record numbers.
“The LIVE Awards reflect the breadth of talent across all parts of our industry – from classical to grime, baroque to rock. The LIVE Awards recognises excellence in the field, and at the venue.”
Proceeds from the ceremony will help to fund LIVE’s ongoing work as it continues to champion the live music industry’s interests with policy makers, regulators, the public, and the wider music and entertainment industries. Headline sponsors on the night were Ticketmaster, Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Resorts World Arena and Ticketswap.
The full list of award winners is as follows:
The LIVE Green Award – A Greener Festival
The LIVE Workforce Award – Bristol Beacon
Venue of the Year – The O2, London
Grassroots Champion – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
Booking Agency 2022 (<30 team members) – One Fiinix Live
Booking Agency 2022 (>30 team members) – CAA
National Promoter of the Year – Kilimanjaro Live
Regional Promoter of the Year – Bird on The Wire
Ticketing Service 2022 – AXS
Major Festival of the Year – Reading & Leeds Festivals
Festival of the Year – Bluedot
Production Supplier – Creative Technology
Brand Partnership – The National Lottery with MVT
The LIVETime Achievement Award – Danny Betesh, Kennedy Street
The awards took place a week after the return of the UK Festival Awards, which were held at Manchester’s Escape to Freight Island on 6 December.
The awards were decided by either fan votes or judges’ verdicts in categories, with the Outstanding Contribution to Festivals award handed to two winners this year: Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) general secretary Steve Heap and former Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) CEO Paul Reed.
The full list of winners was as followed:
Innovation Award – Exit Festival/NFT-TiX
Marketing Campaign of the Year – Parklife
Positively Perfect Pivot Award – Back 2 Festival,
Sarah Nulty Community Impact Award – Beat the Streets
Brand Activation Award – Mighty Hoopla/Vodafone
Best Overseas Festival – Altitude Comedy Festival
Best Non-Music Festival – Mighty Dub Fest
Best Metropolitan Festival – Sound City
Grassroots Festival Award – 3 Wishes Fairy Festival
UK Greener Festival Award – Green Gathering
Best Festival for Emerging Talent – The Great Escape
Best Family Festival – Teddy Rocks
Best New Festival – RADAR Festival
Line-up of the Year – Bluedot
Best Festival Production – Boomtown
Promoter of the Year – Black Deer
Best Small Festival – Woo Fest
Best Medium Festival – 2000 Trees
Best Large Festival – Manchester Pride
Outstanding Contribution Award – Steve Heap & Paul Reed
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Shortlist announced for UK’s LIVE Awards
The shortlist of nominees has been unveiled for the inaugural LIVE Awards, which will take place at The Brewery in London on Tuesday 13 December.
Introduced by trade body LIVE, the new annual event is expected to attract 350 guests and will celebrate outstanding individuals and companies across the UK’s live music sector, as well as serving as an end of year celebration for the business.
Categories were open to all across the industry, with hundreds of entries received, while a special LIVETime Achievement Award will be presented to an individual that has played a principal role in driving forward and improving the UK’s live music business, decided by the LIVE executive board.
“We have been delighted with the depth and breadth of the nominations”
“We have been delighted with the depth and breadth of the nominations sent in for this, the first LIVE Awards,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “They reflect the fact that, despite all the challenges we face, our sector truly is world-class.
“We now hand the tricky decision of selecting our winners over to our panel of judges. While they deliberate, we can get on with putting together a memorable evening. With free drinks all night, a five-star dinner, after party, and proceeds supporting the ongoing work of LIVE, there are plenty of reasons to be there.”
The 2022 nominees are as follows:
The LIVE Green Award
A Greener Festival
AEG Europe
Green Phoenix
Kendal Calling
Overheated
OVO Hydro
Reading & Leeds Festival x Music Declares Emergency
The LIVE Workforce Award
Aberdeen Performing Arts (RISE UP)
AEG Europe People & Culture Team
Association of Black Event Professionals
Bristol Beacon
Nozstock
Roundhouse
Sound City Liverpool
Venue of the Year
Alexandra Palace
Dreamland Margate
Resorts World Arena
Rock City Nottingham
Royal Albert Hall
The Leadmill
The London Palladium
The O2 Arena
Grassroots Champion
Are you Listening? Festival
Barn On The Farm Festival
Beardy Folk Festival
Exchange, Bristol
Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
Norwich Arts Centre
Windmill Brixton, London
Major Booking Agency 2022
ATC Live
CAA
Primary Talent International
UTA
WME
X-ray Touring
Booking Agency 2022
Earth Music Agency
Midnight Mango
Mother Artists
One Fiinix Live
Pure Represents
Solo Agency
National Promoter 2022
DHP Family
FKP Scorpio UK
Kilimanjaro Live
Live Nation
Music Plus Sport
TEG Europe
Regional Promoter 2022
Bird on the Wire
Brudenell Presents
DF Concerts
Glasswerk Concerts
JOY Concerts
Orchard Live
Shine
Ticketing Service 2022
AXS
Eventim
Ticketmaster
Ticketswap
Twickets
Major Festival of the Year
BST Hyde Park
Camp Bestival
Reading & Leeds Festivals
Tramlines
TRNSMT Festival
Victorious
Festival of the Year
ArcTanGent
Bluedot
End of The Road Festival
Shindig Festival
Standon Calling
The Great Escape
Truck Festival
Production Supplier 2022
80six
Creative Technology
Full Fat Events
Label Worx Limited
Organise Chaos
Siyan Lighting
Sophisticated Entertainment
Brand Partnership 2022
Bacardi @ Live Nation
Gigseekr @ Liverpool Sound City
Luno @ Koko
National Lottery Revive Live @ Music Venue Trust
Southern Comfort @ The Collab Agency
Visit Arkansas @ Black Deer Festival
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LIVE launches new UK live music awards ceremony
A new awards ceremony has been launched to celebrate outstanding individuals and companies across the UK’s live music sector.
The LIVE Awards will take place at The Brewery in London on Tuesday 13 December, and are being introduced by trade body LIVE to celebrate the highs of the year and toast the endurance of the sector, amid the dual battles of Brexit and Covid.
Categories will be open to all across the industry and will celebrate classical alongside grime, production heroes alongside promoters.
“After a year like no other, the world class UK live music scene is getting together to celebrate the fantastic work delivered in 2022, while looking towards what’s to come in 2023,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins.
“The awards offer a fantastic opportunity to recognise our world-leading talent and bring all corners of the industry together, while doing what we do best – throwing a fantastic party.”
“It is the right time to celebrate the best in our sector”
The awards will bring the business together in December, serving as an end of year celebration for all of those responsible for stages, venues and festivals across the UK. The ceremony will take place annually, and span a range of achievements including sustainability credentials, marketing prowess and regional performance, to ensure that the very best of the industry is celebrated.
“Live Nation is delighted to support these awards,” adds Denis Desmond, Live Nation UK & Ireland chair. “Live is vital to artists and musicians and creates a vibrant economy in which thousands of jobs are supported. It’s the right time to celebrate the best in our sector.”
Judged by a panel of industry professionals, the awards will be presented in front of an invited industry audience, with hundreds expected to attend.
“The inaugural LIVE Awards will be a welcome and valued addition to the industry calendar, providing an opportunity to celebrate those who have worked incredibly hard during the last few most challenging years for our industry,” adds Royal Albert Hall artistic director Lucy Noble. “It will be fantastic to end the year with a celebration of our world class industry.”
Applications are open now and will run to 30 September, with full details available at www.theliveawards.com. The categories include:
· The LIVE Green Award
· The LIVE Workforce Award
· Venue of the Year
· Grassroots Champion
· Multinational Booking Agency
· Independent Booking Agency
· National Promoter of the Year
· Regional Promoter of the Year
· Top Ticketing Service
· Major Festival of the Year
· Festival of the Year
· Production Supplier
· Brand Partnership
· The LIVETime Achievement Award
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