The UK Festival Awards revealed its winners for 2019 on December 5th, during the 16th annual ceremony at the Troxy in London. Hosted by rapper, comedian and actor, Doc Brown, the industry celebration presented accolades across 21 categories to various festivals, organisations and individuals in the UK’s live events sector.
Those crowned include Download Festival (Best Major Festival), FOCUS Wales (Best Festival for Emerging Talent), Happy Maki (Concession of the Year), Green Gathering (The UK Greener Festival Award), and Parklife (Line-Up of the Year). CGA, which owns UK Festival Awards, handed the Brand Activation Award this year to United Utilities at Bluedot & Kendal Calling. The most prolific winner of the night was the inaugural Cleethorpes Festival of the Sky, which won both Best Non-Music Festival and Best New Festival.
Jenny Hamada from AEG Presents took home the newly launched Women In Festivals Award, and this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Festivals Award was granted to Fiona Measham for creating The Loop, the first organisation to offer drug safety testing services in the UK.
The UKFA’s Awards Manager, Michael Baker, said: “We’d like to extend our congratulations to all of those who won and were shortlisted, as well as a big thank you to all who participated in this year’s Awards. With over 450 applications and 55,000 votes, it was an incredibly competitive edition with levels of engagement that speak to a scene that’s more vibrant and beloved than ever.”
Check out the full list of winners below.
The Innovation Award
Presented by: Light Design
WINNER: Hubbub Wireless at 2000trees
Marketing Campaign of the Year
WINNER: NASS Festival
Concession of the Year
WINNER: Happy Maki
Best Festival Production
Presented by: Heineken
WINNER: All Points East
The Brand Activation Award
Presented by: CGA
WINNER: United Utilities at Bluedot & Kendal Calling
Agency of the Year
WINNER: Midnight Mango
Best Overseas Festival
WINNER: Sziget Festival
Best Non-Music Festival
WINNER: Cleethorpes Festival of the Sky
Best Metropolitan Festival
Presented by: Transition Video
WINNER: Tramlines Festival
The Grassroots Festival Award
Presented by: RSH Audio
WINNER: Mad Hatters’ Affair
The UK Greener Festival Award
Presented by: A Greener Festival
WINNER: Green Gathering
Best Festival For Emerging Talent
Presented by: CPL Online
WINNER: FOCUS Wales
Best Family Festival
WINNER: Camp Bestival
Best New Festival
WINNER: Cleethorpes Festival of the Sky
Line-Up of the Year
Presented by: Tuned In Travel
WINNER: Parklife
Promoter of the Year
Presented by: Imaginators
WINNER: Black Deer Festival
The Women in Festivals Award
Presented by: Ticketmaster
WINNER: Jenny Hamada (AEG Presents)
Best Small Festival
WINNER: Woo Fest
Best Medium-Sized Festival
Presented by: Event-Trees
WINNER: Bluedot Festival
Best Major Festival
Presented by: Diageo
WINNER: Download Festival
The Outstanding to Contribution to Festivals Award
WINNER: Fiona Measham
UK Festival Awards is grateful to our sponsors of this year’s event:
About UK Festival Awards
Since its inception in 2004, the UK Festival Awards has been dedicated to recognising and celebrating the collective accomplishments of the nation’s most beloved industry. Across its 21 categories, the Awards acknowledges the achievements of organisers and suppliers in the fields of programming, production, innovation, emerging talent, marketing, hospitality, catering and more.
In 2017, food and drink business consultancy CGA acquired the UK Festival Awards. From its offices in Manchester, United Kingdom, and Chicago, United States, CGA experts work with many of the world’s biggest consumer brands, including drinks manufacturers, consumer brand owners, food suppliers and wholesalers as well as pub, bar and restaurant retailers, festivals and government entities.
Imagery and additional content can be found in the UKFA 2019 Media Pack.
More information on how Awards are judged and decided upon can be found here.
Last year’s winners can be found here.
Press contact: Michael Baker
