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FESTIVAL AWARDS EUROPE ANNOUNCE SHORTLISTS

After a month of voting by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world, we can now reveal the finalists in the European Festival Awards.  The second and final round of voting is now open to enable the shortlisted candidates to generate further votes, before voting closes for good on 8th December. More than 200,000 votes have been cast in this first round of voting – over twice the total number cast last year.

It’s indicative of the growth of the Awards, which has seen a 37% increase in the number of festivals taking part and entries from 32 different countries.  This is an incredible growth considering it is only Year 2 and reinforces the ever-growing strength and popularity of the European music festival marketplace. Vote Now! http://eu.festivalawards.com/

James Drury, MD of Festival Awards Ltd, which organises the Awards said:
«With more votes cast during this first phase than in the whole of the last contest competition is incredibly hot between festivals. It is testament to the strength of the European festival scene that so many people are keen to support their favourite events.»

Decided by a combination of public vote and industry juries, this is the only pan-European body solely dedicated to recognising the contributions and achievements of the event organisers and performing artists that generate billions of Euros for local economies and brighten up the summer for tens of millions of festival-goers each year.

Festival Awards Europe, presented by YOUROPE and Virtual Festivals Europe, will take place on Wednesday 12th January 2011 at Groningen’s Stadsschouwburg in The Netherlands, as part of the 25th Anniversary edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag. Winners will be announced on the night with live acts and aftershow party.

Tickets (up to 6 tickets per buyer) to the European Festival Awards, which will include a drinks reception, buffet dinner, live performances and an aftershow party will be exclusively available, on a strict first-come-first-served basis, for festivals and promoters (Eurosonic Noorderslag registration is required).

Below you find the EFA 2011 link. It is secured with password; EFA2011
http://www.ticketmaster.nl/html/connect.htmI?EVNT=EU120111

Register for Eurosonic Noorderslag 2011: http://www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl/en/conference/about/register/

The Shortlists:

Best Major European Festival
Heineken Open’er Festival – Poland
Oxegen Festival – Ireland
Hurricane Festival – Germany
Pukkelpop – Belgium
Roskilde Festival – Denmark
EXIT Festival – Serbia
Sonisphere Festival – Turkey
Wacken Open Air – Germany
Sziget Festival – Hungary
Rock Werchter – Belgium

Best Medium-Sized European Festival
Area 4 Festival – Germany
Coke Live Music Festival – Poland
Couleur Cafe Festival – Belgium
Dour Festival – Belgium
Electric Picnic Music & Arts Festival – Ireland
Lokerse Feesten – Belgium
Melt! Festival – Germany
OFF Festival – Poland
Øyafestivalen – Norway
Pohoda festival – Slovakia

Best Small European Festival
5 Tauron Nowa Muzyka Festival – Poland
Boogie Brain International Music Festival – Poland
Castlepalooza Music & Arts Festival – Ireland
Absolutely Free Festival – Belgium
Indiependence festival – Ireland
LB27 Reggae Camp – Hungary
Leffingeleuren – Belgium
Reeds Festival – Switzerland
Trænafestivalen – Norway
Zeverrock Festival – Belgium

Best New European Festival
Daydream Festival – Belgium
E-tropolis Festival – Germany
Once upon a Festival – Belgium
Sonisphere Festival – Czech Republic
Sonisphere Festival – Poland
Sonisphere Festival – Turkey
Stop Making Sense – Croatia
Temple House Festival – Ireland
The Big Snow Festival – Andorra
Zita Rock Festival – Germany

Best Indoor Festival
Amsterdam Dance Event – Netherlands
Blues In Hell – Norway
Eurosonic Noorderslag – Netherlands
I Love Techno – Belgium
Le Printemps de Bourges – France
Montreux Jazz Festival – Switzerland
Reeperbahn Festival – Germany
Rolling Stone Weekender – Germany
Sensation  – Poland
Springfestival – Austria

Best European Festival Line-Up
Bestival – UK
Gurten Festival – Switzerland
Haldern Pop – Germany
Melt! Festival – Germany
Open Air St Gallen – Switzerland
Oxegen – Ireland
Rock Am Ring – Germany
Rock Werchter – Belgium
Roskilde – Denmark
Snowbombing – Austria

Best Newcomer
Die Antwoord
Florence and the Machine
Jamaica
Mumford & Sons
The Gaslight Anthem
The XX
Two Doors Cinema Club
Villagers
White Lies
Yeasayer

Best Headliner
AC/DC
Arcade Fire
Gorillaz
Jay Z
Muse
Pearl Jam
Prince
Rammstein
Robyn
Stevie Wonder

Festival Anthem of the Year
Biffy Clyro – Many of Horror
Editors – No Sound But The Wind
Florence and the Machine – You Got The Love
Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind
Kasabian – Underdog
LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls
Mumford & Sons  – Little Lion Man
Muse – Uprising
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Yeasayer – One

Other Awards, decided by industry jury are: YOUROPE Green ‘N’ Clean Festival Of The Year, Artist’s Favourite European Festival, Promoter of the Year, Yourope Lifetime Achievement Award

Vote Now! http://eu.festivalawards.com/

- Ends -

Last year, more than 100,000 public votes saw Belgium claim the most awards with Dour winning ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’, Cactusfestival named the ‘Best Small Festival’, ‘Best New European Festival’ went to Openfields and Rock Werchter was voted ‘Best Line Up’ and ‘Artists’ Favourite Festival’. Live Nation’s Herman Schueremans was also designated ‘Promoter Of The Year’ by an industry jury that included a selection of the continent’s most prominent trade music journalists, booking agents and related professionals.

«Things don’t get much better than winning in 3 categories at the very first European Festival Awards in January 2010 at Eurosonic Noorderslag, the yearly European Live Music conference event which is dedicated to new European Music. Again, many thanks from all of us at Rock Werchter!» Herman Schueremans, Rock Werchter

For a full list of last year’s winners click here http://www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl/en/conference/news/news/artikel/and-the-winners-are-2/

YOUROPE Chairman Christof Huber commented: «The first edition of the EFA’s worked out really well and it was the gathering of festivals that we had hoped for.  We are proud to be co-promoter of the European Festival Awards and are looking forward to a successful second edition in this unique venue»

Virtual Festivals founder Steve Jenner added: «The European festival scene has never been more exciting with new territories springing up on the map and more established markets undergoing rapid maturation. It all bodes for a thrilling Festival Awards and another great celebration in Groningen.»

Eurosonic Noorderslag Creative Director Peter Smidt concluded: «With so many European festivals attending Eurosonic Noorderslag, we are happy to open by celebrating the best of them at the European Festival Awards».