Live Nation’s Chief Operating Officer, John Probyn, is to be the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s UK Festival Awards, which returns to The Roundhouse in London on Monday 3rd December.

This honour, decided by the Festival Awards board, crowns a momentous year for the world-renowned production boss, which has seen him direct the largest series of live music events ever staged by a single company in the UK in one summer, in the face of some heavy resistance from the weather.  

John’s notable 2012 triumphs included saving the biggest and best Download Festival yet (100,000 tickets, sold-out) from a potential wash-out and then walking 144 miles from Donington to Hyde Park in aid of Cancer Research. It was there that he played host to more than a million live music fans (for Barclaycard Wireless, Hard Rock Calling and BT London Live – in support of the 2012 London Olympic Games). The weather returned with a vengeance and once-again threatened the events. This time John retaliated with 8 million litres of woodchip; the ground was saved and the show went on.

All this is but the pinnacle of an illustrious career that began in commercial radio events and has seen John Probyn rise, through his unique ability to balance the needs of the fan with the bottom line, into his position today as arguably the most respected, recognised and well-liked production executive in the industry, and Chief Operating Officer of the world’s largest live entertainment producer.

Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder comments: “John’s contributions to event production have raised the bar in safety, comfort and enjoyment for millions of live music fans across the festival spectrum, worldwide, extending far beyond his own events. For this reason alone this award is overdue. However, I feel passionately that credit also very much due for John’s commitment to engaging directly with his audiences through digital channels as well as regular fan-forum meet-up events. This has been key to the stand-out success of events like Download Festival and has driven forward the evolution of the wider marketplace in no small strides”.