The UK live music industry got together last night for the inaugural LIVE Awards to celebrate outstanding talent and achievements across the sector, touring excepted.
LIVE, the voice of the UK’s live music business, welcomed 450 representatives from every corner of the sector to highlight excellence throughout 2022 while looking forward to a brilliant year of concerts, festivals, and tours in 2023, although the only shows awarded were festivals.
Decided by a panel of industry experts, the 14 awards reflected the talent and accomplishments of companies and individuals across the entirety of the UK live music scene, apart from tours that is. Last night’s award winners included Reading & Leeds Festivals, The O2 Arena, Bluedot, CAA, One Fiinix Live, and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow.
A brilliant evening of celebration ended with the awarding of the first LIVEtime achievement award to the legendary Danny Betesh. Owner of Kennedy Street Enterprises and promoter to icons like The Beatles, Take That, and Meat Loaf, Betesh’s career spans seven decades of contributing to the UK’s live music industry and he is a truly worthy recipient.
Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE said:
“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.
“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”.
The full list of award winners included:
- The LIVE Green Award – A Greener Festival
- The LIVE Workforce Award – Bristol Beacon
- Venue of the Year – The O2 Arena
- 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
Proceeds from the first LIVE Awards 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.
The awards ceremony will take place annually and continue to celebrate outstanding achievements in sustainability credentials, marketing prowess and regional performance, to ensure that the very best of the industry is rightly recognised.
