The votes have been counted and we can now reveal the finalists in this year’s UK Festival Awards, as decided by the British festival-going public.

This year – the 11th edition - saw a new record set for votes with over 700,000 cast by fans for their favourite festivals and artists, a remarkable 25% increase on last year’s figures.

The public-voted accolades include awards for the Best Major, Medium, Small, New, Metropolitan, Dance, Family and Grass Roots events, as well as the fiercely contested Best Toilets.

The titles for artists include Headline Performance Of The Year, Best Breakthrough Artist and Anthem Of The Summer.

But it’s not just about the public vote. Some of the more specialists categories are decided by panels of industry professionals, including Best Use of New Technology, Promoter Of The Year, Agency Of The Year, Concession Of The Year, The Extra Festival Award and Line-Up Of The Year.

The winners will be announced on-stage at the UK Festival Awards gala ceremony which returns to The Roundhouse in London on Monday 1st December, preceded by The UK Festival Conference during the daytime at the same event.

Steve Jenner, Founder & Director comments: “The response to this year’s awards, not only from fans, but also from more festivals applying to take part than ever before, has been exceptional this year – a positive sign that industry confidence, backed by public passion is surging in 2014. It sets the tone for an extra special celebration at The Roundhouse in a few weeks’ time.

A limited number of tickets to the event are still available at www.festivalawards.com/tickets

uk fest awards


The following shortlists were decided by the online public vote:

Best Major Festival

In association with: PlugGo

For festivals with a daily capacity of 40,000 or above. The giants of the festival scene playing host to the world’s biggest acts, tens of thousands of people and multiple arenas across sites that sprawl for acres. Like popup small cities, the largest festivals are a regular pilgrimage and a rite of passage for many. But which one is the best of the big daddies?

  • Bestival
  • British Summer Time Hyde Park
  • Creamfields
  • Download Festival
  • Glastonbury
  • GlobalGathering
  • Isle of Wight Festival
  • Reading & Leeds
  • Sonisphere Festival
  • T in the Park
  • V Festival
  • Wireless Festival

Last year’s winner: Download

Best Medium-Sized Festival

In association with: Eventbrite

For festivals with a daily capacity of 10,000 to 39,999. Not as large as the giants, but by no means in their shadow, these colourful and diverse events provide a more boutique feel, and a more intimate experience. Many start life much smaller, but have grown to this size due to their popularity. Some will keep expanding and join the ranks of the majors, others will settle happily into their niche and stay there. Who will pick up the prize this year?

  • Beautiful Days
  • Bloodstock Open Air
  • Boardmasters
  • Camp Bestival
  • Green Man
  • Kendal Calling
  • Latitude
  • Secret Garden Party
  • We Are FSTVL
  • Y Not Festival

Last year’s winner: Kendal Calling

Best Small Festival

Often quirky, due to a personal touch and grassroots appeal, the cosiness and sense of community at these festivals is second to none for many people. This award celebrates those who stick to the mantra that small is beautiful.

  • 2000trees
  • Barn on the Farm
  • Bearded Theory
  • Beat Herder
  • Brownstock Festival
  • Cambridge Folk Festival
  • Festival No.6
  • Jimmy's Sausage & Beer Festival
  • Leopallooza
  • Zoo Project Festival, The

Last year’s winner: Bearded Theory

Best New Festival

In association with: ID&C

Once again, some excellent new events were launched this year, bravely taking on those with established reputations. Bringing a fresh take, new music and alternative audiences to the festival scene, which one have you already put in your diary for next time?

  • Mutiny in the Park
  • No Tomorrow
  • OnBlackheath
  • Red Rooster
  • Rewind North
  • Secret Festival, The
  • Somersault Festival
  • Summer Sizzler
  • Together Festival
  • UKG Fest

Last year's winner: We Are FSTVL

Best Family Festival

Growing up doesn't mean you have to stop going to festivals - it just gives you a great opportunity to bring your kids! Every year, there seems to be more and more children at festivals, with increasingly impressive areas and facilities for kids reflecting this growth. Games, workshops, kid zones and activities for youngsters all combine to make their weekend a memorable one – and often a much easier one for mums and dads. Which festival was the most enjoyable for kids and parents this year?

  • British Summer Time Hyde Park
  • Beautiful Days
  • Camp Bestival
  • Eden Festival
  • Green Man
  • Jamie Oliver & Alex James present The Big Feastival
  • Kendal Calling
  • Latitude
  • Leopallooza
  • Victorious Festival

Last year’s winner: Camp Bestival

Best Metropolitan Festival

Using the existing infrastructure of a town’s venues, this sector is growing thanks to no need for camping, very little threat from the weather and the ability to take place at any time of the year. Sold either on a show-by-show basis, or an all encompassing wristband, they give people chance to see multiple acts in the comfort of the indoors. Which one had you ditching green fields for the concrete jungle?

  • Blackpool Music Festival
  • Dot to Dot
  • Fusion Festival
  • Great Escape, The
  • Live at Leeds
  • Liverpool Sound City
  • MADE Birmingham
  • Slam Dunk Festival
  • Tramlines
  • Whitby Goth Weekend

Last year’s winner: Dot To Dot

Best Dance Event

In association with: XL Video

Tribes have been gathering to dance in fields for millennia. More recently, growing numbers of events solely dedicated to electronic music have been forging a name for themselves as crowds look to dance the day – and night – away to everything from techno to trance and dubstep to house. Which one had you reaching for the lasers?

  • Beat Herder
  • Bestival
  • Creamfields
  • GlobalGathering
  • Lovebox
  • Mutiny in the park
  • South West Four
  • The Parklife Weekender
  • Tramlines
  • We Are FSTVL

Last year’s winner: Creamfields

The Grass Roots Festival Award

Often the best small festivals spring from an organic labour of love and a long-time dream which has been shared by thousands more. These festivals should be celebrated, not just for the courage, vision, commitment and often personal sacrifice invested by their organisers, but also because they never forget where they’ve come from, supporting their local communities and new music along the way while retaining an independent spirit and resisting commercial saturation. All hail the grass roots festivals and their creators!

  • 2000trees
  • Barn on the Farm
  • Beautiful Days
  • Bloodstock Open Air
  • Eden Festival
  • Green Man
  • In The Woods Festival
  • Jimmy's Sausage & Beer Festival
  • Leopallooza
  • Y Not Festival

Last year’s winner: 2000Trees

Best Overseas Festival

In association with: Yourope

Increasing numbers of Brits are heading abroad for their festival fix, choosing a different culture, new surroundings or sometimes just more reliable weather over home events. Some have become household names the world over for their international appeal and some even have more Brits in attendance than many homegrown medium sized festivals. Which one will be voted top by the fans?

  • Tomorrowland (Belgium)
  • Coachella (USA)
  • Benicassim (Spain)
  • Ibiza Rocks (Spain)
  • Outlook (Croatia)
  • Splendour In The Grass (Australia)
  • Rock am Ring/ Rock Im Park (Germany)
  • Wacken Open Air (Germany)
  • Pinkpop (The Netherlands)
  • Sonar (Spain)
  • Snowbombing (Austria)
  • NOS Alive - formerly Optimus Alive (Portugal)

Last year’s winner: Snowbombing (Austria)

Best Toilets

Always one of the most talked-about issues at festivals, whether it’s pongy portable loos, the lingering longdrops or the unpleasant urinals, all festival toilets tang, but some more than others. Which festival boasted the cleanest cans and quickest queues?

  • Creamfields
  • Download Festival
  • End Of The Road
  • Kendal Calling
  • Larmer Tree Festival
  • Latitude
  • Reading & Leeds
  • Truck Festival
  • V Festival
  • We Are FSTVL

Last year’s winner: ArcTanGent

Headline Performance of the Year

In association with: SnoozeBox (curated by Gigwise)

A killer headline performance can be talked about for years to come, etched into musical history as one of those “I was there” moments. To succeed requires energy, musicianship, dedication, creativity and a fortuitous coming together of time and space. Some acts may be regulars on the festival circuit, but which one nailed it?

  • Arcade Fire at Glastonbury
  • Arctic Monkeys at Reading & Leeds
  • Biffy Clyro at T In The Park
  • Foals at Bestival
  • Kasabian at Glastonbury
  • The Killers at V Festival
  • The Libertines at British Summer Time
  • Linkin Park at Download
  • The Prodigy at Sonisphere
  • Metallica at Glastonbury
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Isle Of Wight
  • Suede at Kendal Calling

Last year’s winner: Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury

Best Breakthrough Artist

In association with: Last.fm (curated by Drowned In Sound)

New talent is the lifeblood of the festival scene and smaller events and stages are abound with fresh acts hoping to catch the ears of the masses of music-lovers, and secure their place on the road to becoming tomorrow’s headliners. This award celebrates the ones that managed to get the fans and critics to sit up and pay attention.

  • The 1975
  • Augustines
  • Blood Red Shoes
  • Catfish & The Bottlemen
  • Goat
  • Jagwar Ma
  • Royal Blood
  • Sophie Ellis-Bextor
  • The War on Drugs
  • Wolf Alice

Last year’s winner: Rudimental

Anthem of the Summer

In association with: Clash Magazine

The ultimate test of any song is how it’s received live – and there’s no better place than at festivals. While thousands of great records have been lapped up by millions over the summer, a few stood out as true classics, creating defining festival moments and were sung all the way back to the campsite. Which was your fave?

  • The 1975 – ‘Chocolate’
  • Arctic Monkeys - 'R U Mine'
  • Calvin Harris – ‘Summer’
  • Dolly Parton – ‘Jolene’
  • Hozier – ‘Take Me To Church’
  • Metallica - 'Whiskey In The Jar'
  • OutKast – ‘Ms Jackson’
  • Pharell Williams - 'Happy'
  • Royal Blood - 'Come On Over'
  • Sam Smith – ‘Stay With Me’

Last year’s winner: Daft Punk – ‘Get Lucky’

The following more specialist awards are decided by panels of industry experts:

Line-Up Of The Year

Picking the right bill will make or break a festival – no mean feat when there are hundreds of others trying to better you and a decreasing pool of established acts to bid on. Whether it’s about securing the biggest names in the world, putting together special collaborations, or just knowing what the audience wants, our judges are looking for the festival which displayed the most vision when booking acts.

  • Beacons Festival
  • Bestival
  • Creamfields
  • End Of The Road
  • Festival Number 6
  • Green Man
  • Latitude
  • Liverpool Music Week
  • Liverpool Sound City
  • Love Supreme Jazz Festival
  • Lovebox
  • OnBlackheath
  • Wireless

Last year’s winner: Latitude

Best Use of New Technology

In association with: White Light

Technological innovation is one of the strongest forces propelling the festival marketplace forward at this time. Whether it’s applied to help organisers forge closer relationships with their audiences outside the event or to enhance visitor experiences and operational efficiencies on-site, many new and groundbreaking tools are entering the market, and some of these will forever change the way that festivals are produced and experienced. This award recognises the individual application of new technology at a specific event that offers the greatest promise for the future of the market as a whole.

Bestival – For their fan ambassador scheme using an online platform provided by The Physical Network

Creamfields – For its epic live Youtube stream covering every stage of the festival

Eden Sessions – For their live global broadcast on Youtube delivered in association with Asus

Liverpool Sound City – For their iOS-integrated itinerary scheduling system

Lovebox – For their mobile audience engagement platform delivered in association with HTC using technology provided by Airbeem

The Parklife Weekender – For their revolutionary substance-analysis system supplied by The Loop and working with Greater Manchester Police

Salford Music Festival – For its smart, integrated ‘Event1’ event management system provided by 1SecureWeb

V Festival – For their ‘FanPic’ social engagement application, delivered in cooperation with Ticketmaster

Wireless Festival - For their smart visitor tracking system provided by Crowd Connected working with Eventbase

Y01 Festival – For its new queue-busting electronic access control system delivered by We Scan Tickets

Last year’s winner: Intelligent Venue Solutions on behalf of Barclaycard at Barclaycard British Summer Time (Hyde Park)

Agency of the Year

In association with: IQ Magazine

Recognising the booking agency responsible for making the greatest positive contribution to this summer’s festival content.

  • 13 Artists
  • CAA
  • CODA
  • Echo Location Talent Agency
  • ITB
  • K2
  • Primary
  • The Agency Group
  • WME
  • X-Ray

Last year’s winner: CODA

Concession of the Year

Food, drink, cash machines, merchandise: the essentials that keep festival-goers on their feet not only provide an essential source of income for festivals, but can also make a huge difference to the overall colour of an event. Concession staff are there day and night, rain or shine, with a smile and good humour, and this Award acknowledges the hard work they do and the importance of concession at festivals.

  • Ghandis Flip Flop
  • Gizzi Erskine's Chefs Club
  • Goodness Gracious Healthy Foods
  • Happy Maki Sushi
  • Hot Rocks Pizza
  • La Grande Bouffe
  • Lulu's Café
  • Mocha Mania
  • Paelleria
  • Smoke Stack

Last year’s winner: Strumpets With Crumpets

The Greener Festival Award

In association with: Bucks New University

The Red Kite mark is awarded by www.agreenerfestival.com on the basis of a questionnaire and where possible an environmental assessment. All festivals must demonstrate that they have coherent green policies promoting environmental efficiency and sustainability, including issues such as CO2 emissions, waste management and recycling. Which is the Greenest of them all?

  • BBC Hyde Park Proms
  • Cambridge Folk Festival
  • End of the Road
  • Glasgow 2014
  • Glastonbury Festival
  • Greenbelt
  • Nozstock: The Hidden Valley
  • Shambala Festival
  • T in the Park
  • Wood Festival

Last year’s winner: Shambala Festival

The Extra-Festival Activity Award

Music may be the vital heartbeat of all our festivals, but it’s often the “extras”, such as pop-up performances, mass participation games, quirky installations or just spectacular attention to detail which fill heads and cameras with memories that last a lifetime. There are so many unique and wonderful creative elements at festivals, but which one was extra special?

  • 3 Wishes Faery Fest
  • Beat Herder
  • Deerstock
  • Festival No.6
  • Secret Garden Party
  • Somersault
  • The Secret Festival
  • Victorious
  • Wilderness
  • Y Not/Truck/Brownstock

Last year’s winner: Wilderness

Promoter of the Year

In association with: Peppermint Bars

Recognising the festival organiser who has produced an outstanding event, overcome adversity, or truly gone above and beyond the call of duty and pulled something phenomenal out of the bag. There’s always at least one each year, often several so this one is often a very tough call for judges.

  • AMust4Music (Bloodstock)
  • Count Of Ten Group (Y Not, Truck, Brownstock, Hevy, Tramlines)
  • DF Concerts (T In The Park)
  • John Giddings and Solo (Isle Of Wight Festival)
  • Red Jelly Productions (Xstatic Summer Festival)
  • Rich Bryan (Bearded Theory)
  • Rob Star (Eastern Electrics)
  • Scott Barton (Creamfields)
  • The Zoo Project Festival Team
  • Vision Nine (Boardmasters, NASS)

Last year’s winner: Paddy Glasgow (Glasgowbury)

The Outstanding Contribution to Festivals Award

In association with: Intelligent Venue Solutions

Dedicated to an individual whose personal vision and energy has propelled the entire festival marketplace forward in a dynamic, creative and positive way.

Winner to be announced in due course.

Last year’s winner: Fiona Stewart (Green Man)