Olivia PowellThe awards ceremony followed the first day of AIF’s 2019 Festival Congress in Sheffield.
Hosted by actor, writer and comedian Thanyia Moore, theawards ceremony took place at 92 Burton Road on6 November, following the first day of AIF’sannual Festival Congressconference.
This year’s ceremony included eight awards, each designed to recognise innovation and creativity across the independent festival sector.
Nominees were put forward to AIF’s 65 member festivals and then determined bya Festival Congress steering group vote.
The Independent Festival Awards Winners 2019 were:
Unique Festival Arena – The Street at Beat-Herder
Live Act of the Year (In association with PRS for Music) – KOKOKO!
Festival Caterer of the Year (In association with NCASS) – Flavors Of Africa
Smart Marketing – Standon Calling
In On The Ground Floor (In association with Marcato) – Twisterella
Never Mind The Pollocks – Deer Shed Festival
Backstage Hero – Megan Evans
European Festival – Pete the Monkey
The awards were given during a ceremony that shared the Festival Congress theme of ‘Utopia And Dystopia’. It included décor and creative production from production company Pink Marmalade, and featured live performers and fire dancers. The ceremony was followed by an aftershow party at Yellow Arch Studios with DJ Katie Owen.
AIF CEO, Paul Reedsaid: “The Independent Festival Awards was a fantastic celebration and the awards ceremony felt like it had stepped up a gear with a new host, new categories and outstanding production that enhanced the overall independent festival feel of the evening.
“Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees, all of whom reiterate that the independent festival sector remains at the forefront of innovation and creativity. We’ll continue pushing forward into 2020.”
Senior events manager, PRS for Music, Amy Field added: “These awards are an important and relevant celebration of the independent festival sector and acknowledge the creativity and hard work that goes into producing some of the finest festivals in Europe. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, including KOKOKO!, whose ingenuity and innovative sound won them live act of the year.”