VirtualFestivals.com yesterday announced the nominations for the first ever UK Festival Awards. Selected by a panel of 100 journalists and photographers who covered the festivals this year, festival-goers will now be invited to vote in each category in order to find the overall winner. Nominations are as follows:
Best Major Festival: Download, Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, Manchester Move, Reading & Leeds, T in the Park, V Festival
Best Dance Festival: Big Chill, Creamfields, Escape in the Park, Glade, Global Gathering, Homelands, Lovebox
Best Small Festival: Ashton Court, Beautiful Days, Bestival, Big Chill, Glade, Guilfest, Summer Sundae
Best New Festival: Bestival, Get Loaded in the Park, Glade, Masterpeace, Secret Garden, TDK Cross Central, Tin Pan Alley
Best One Day Festival: Creamfields, Get Loaded in the Park, Homelands, Jazz Cafe Picnic in the Park, Lost Vagueness, Lovebox, Party in the Park
Best Theme Festival: Bloodstock, Bulldog Bash, Cambridge Folk Festival, Download, Fleadh, Womad, Wakestock
Best Facilities & Organisation: Glastonbury, Guilfest, Homelands, Manchester Move, Reading & Leeds, T in the Park, V Festival
Best Live Act: Basement Jaxx, Elbow, Franz Ferdinand, Muse, The Pixies, The Zutons, The Darkness
Most Innovative Festival: All Tomorrow's Parties, Beautiful Days, Big Chill, Download, Glastonbury, TDK Cross Central, V Festival
Best Live Newcomer: Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Goldie Lookin' Chain, Kasabian, Keane, Razorlight, Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band, The Killers
Best Live Moment Of The Summer: Paul McCartney singing Beatles classics at Glastonbury, Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters losing his kilt at T in the Park, 50 Cent being bottled off-stage at Reading, GLC and Super Furry Animals collaborating on-stage at Leeds, The Who triumphantly 'reclaiming' the Isle of Wight, The Happy Mondays re-uniting gloriously for Get Loaded in the Park, Slayer and Slipknot drummers filling Metallica's stool at Download
Anthem Of The Summer: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out, GLC - Guns Don't Kill People, Razorlight - Golden Touch, Snow Patrol - Run, The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now, The Killers - Mr. Brightside, The Streets - Dry Your Eyes
Commenting on Glastonbury's four nominations, the festival's Event Manager Dick Vernon told reporters yesterday: "These awards sound a great way to get feedback from the people that matter - live outdoor ticket buying 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 make a festival successful."
Voting begins next Monday, 15 Nov, more info at http://www.virtualfestivals.com, press info from [email protected] or call Chris McCormick on 020 8605 2691.