The winners of THE EUROPEAN FESTIVAL AWARDS 2017 have benen nnounced at the Awards Ceremony at the EuroSonic convention and festival Groningen, Netherlands last night - and those winners are:
BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL - Exit Festival
BEST MEDIUM SIZED FESTIVAL - Down The Rabbit Hole
BEST SMALL FESTIVAL - Ment Ljublana
THE BRAND ACTIVATION AWARD - The Miele Powerwash at Lowlands Festival
THE YES HEALTH AND SAFETY INNOVATION AWARD - Paleo Festival & Roskilde Festival for their hostile vehicle mitigation system
THE GREEN OPERATIONS AWARD - Pohoda Festival
THE TAKE A STAND AWARD - Roskilde Festival
AGENT OF THE YEAR - Alex Bruford (ATC Live)
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR - Goodlive
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Rag 'n' Bone Man
LINE-UP OF THE YEAR - Sziget Festival
BEST NEW FESTIVAL - Wacken Winter Nights
BEST INDOOR FESTIVAL - Ment Ljubljana
THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE AND PASSION - Fruzsina Szép (Lollapalooza Berlin, and Sziget)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Daniel Rosselat (Paléo Festival Nyon)
Motörhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke has died at the age of 67. His death was announced on Motörhead’s Facebook page. According to the post, Clarke died peacefully in hospital after suffering from pneumonia. After six albums with Motörhead and as part of the band's classic line up with Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, Clarke left the band in 1982. Clarke subsequently formed the rock band Fastway with UFO bassist Pete Way. The band released seven albums and toured with AC/DC. The social media statement also contained tributes from later band members including guitarist Phil Campbell. He said: "Just heard the sad news that Fast Eddie Clarke has passed away. He will be remembered for his iconic riffs and was a true rock and roller, RIP Eddie."
Girlschool bassist Enid Williams posted a picture of her and Clarke and tweeted: “Goodbye Eddie and thank you for the memories. No words can do justice. Great guitarist, great man.” Saxon tweeted "We've just heard our good friend Fast Eddie Clarke has died.
Our thoughts go out to his loved ones and family. He will be greatly missed, but he's gone to join Phil and Lemmy. We have great memories of our times with him."
Metallica's Lars Ulrich tweeted:
Thank you for the riffs.
Thank you for the solos.
Thank you for the attitude.
Thank you for being in the coolest band.
Thank you for inspiring me to go down the same path.
We have lost a legend.
William Ray “Bill” Hearn, who led the Nashville-based market-leading Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG) as its Chairman & CEO, has passed away earlier this week aged 58 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jack Boyle, who built a small club in Washington D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood into a regional promotions empire that became a key cog in the construction of Live Nation’s US success, has passed away at age 83 in California. According to his son, he passed due to complications from dementia.
French musician Johnny Hallyday has died, following a diagnosis of lung cancer. He was 74. Hallyday had a career spanning more than 50 years, and he was planning a new record and tour at the time of his death. In a statement Hallyday's wife Laeticia said: "Johnny Hallyday has left us. I write these words without believing them. But yet, it's true. My man is no longer with us". Selling over 100 milllion records, he made a knight of the French Legion of Honor by President Jacques Chirac in 1998. Current French president Emmanuel Macron said in a statement that "for more than 50 years, he was a vibrant icon", while Macron tweeted that "we all have a bit of Johnny Hallyday in us".
DJ Kaleb Freitas has been killed during the Atmosphere festival in Brazil after strong winds blew over part of the stage at the electronic music party in Rio Grande. An estimated 5,000 people attended the event which was in its fifth year, according to Colombian news outlet Publimetro, taking place in the city of Esteio, Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. The Festival issued a statement saying "“We're sorry, we lost a friend, an artist. Our priority is to assist the wounded and their families. We thank the military brigade and the fire department for all assistance.”
Brooklyn-based entertainment attorney Ed Woods has died. Social media tributes began pouring in for Woods, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Diddy, Usher, Allen Iverson, DMX, Stephanie Mills, JAY-Z and Kelly Price. Woods left private practice in 2005 to become executive vice president of black music at Casablanca Records.
Richard Cousins, the chief executive of Compass Group, the world’s largest catering firm, was one of the five people who lost their lives in a plane crash in Sydney on new year’s eve. Cousins, 58, was killed along with his fiancée Emma Bowden, 48, her daughter Heather Bowden, 11, and his two sons Edward (23) and William Cousins (25) when their seaplane crashed into the Hawkesbury river on 31st December. The pilot, 44-year-old Gareth Morgan, also died. Cousins had led UK-headquartered Compass Group – which provides catering services to some of the world’s leading arenas, including The O2, Staples Center and SSE Arena Wembley, and has also held a 49% stake in AEG Facilities since 2011 – for the past 11 years.
Babymetal have paid tribute to their guitarist Mikio Fujioka, who has died after falling from an observation deck while stargazing on the 30th December. In a statement on Fujioka's Twitter profile, his wife said that the musician's condition had deteriorated on 5 Jan, and he had died with his two daughters beside him. He was just 36 Babymetal also confirmed the death of Fukioka, who had performed in their backing band since 2013, saying that he has "passed away in the metal galaxies" and was now "enjoying an epic guitar session" with his guitar hero Allan Holdsworth.
Audience reports that Geoff Meall, UK office MD of US booking giant United Talent Agency (UTA) is on the move to Coda Agency with his artistes. It is understood that Meall, whose roster includes Muse, Paramour and Foals has been placed on so-called gardening leave until the end of the year. Meall, who left his role as head of United Talent Agency (UTA)’s London office at the end of 2017, has now officially confirmed his move to Coda Agency, becoming the latest high-profile hire for the fast-growing UK agency. The Agency Group (TAG) was acquired by UTA in 2015. Meall joins other recent hires Natasha Bent, also formerly of TAG/UTA, and Clementine Bunel, most recently of ATC Live.
The UK's Digital Minister Matt Hancock has been promoted to the top job at the Department Of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, a department he first joined in 2016.
TicketNews reports that Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino signed a contract to remain in the position through to 2022 in a deal valued at $9 million a year plus stock.
Wembley Stadium's partnership development manager for music and new events Danielle Russell is moving to London Stadium to become its head of events. She left Wembley at the end of November, having been there for five years.
London venue operator Really Useful Theatres Group has appointed Mike Hamer, formerly of Koko in Camden, venue manager of the London Palladium. The hiring of Hamer, who spent 11 years at Koko, follows the appointment of Dave Gaydon (ex-Roundhouse), who is tasked with presenting more live music at Really Useful’s venues.
Erik Huggers has announced that he is stepping down as CEO of Vevo. The music video platform's CFO Alan Price will take over until a permanent replacement can be found.
Ticketing firm The Ticket Factory has appointed Richard Howle as its Director Of Ticketing, Howle said he was thrilled to join The Ticket Factory "and to bring my experience of running in-house ticketing operations to the role .... It is a company I have long admired with a well-deserved reputation for delivering excellence".
Kevin Brown, the most senior industry-facing executive at Spotify outside the US, is leaving the company at the end of this year, MBW understands. Brown is Head of Artist & Label Services UK and International at Spotify, where he first arrived in early 2013.
And Spotify's Chief Content Officer, Stefan Blom, is leaving the streaming company in the coming weeks - amid the firm's attempt to float on the New York Stock Exchange. Blom joined Spotify in 2014 as Chief Strategy Officer, overseeing the platform's operations, markets and corporate development activities around the world. He stepped up to Chief Content Officer in 2015, succeeding Ken Parks.
Michael Alexander has been named EVP International across Republic, Island and Def Jam in New York. Alexander has spent his entire career at Universal Music Group, most recently as SVP, International. He will direct ex-US artist campaigns in his new role.
BMG has made Allegra Willis Knerr VP, Film & TV Licensing for the recorded music and publishing firm. Alexi Cory-Smith, is exiting BMG after nearly seven years with the company, MBW reports. Cory-Smith joined BMG in January 2011, initially as SVP of BMG Chrysalis UK before moving up to an EVP role in 2013. She was promoted to President, Repertoire and Marketing of BMG UK in January this year after six years with the firm's London office.
Jen Sullivan, who ran her own successful indie promotion outfit The Spin Project, has joined eOne as VP of Promotion, Music. She will take up the new role in January and will be based in New York.
Swedish music startup Amuse, co-founded by will.i.am, has announced that Edgar Berger, the former Chairman and CEO of Sony Music International, has joined its board. The news comes as Stockholm-based Amuse closes a €3.5m Series A funding round.
Kobalt has appointed Lonny Olinick as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its recorded music division. Olinick will oversee artist services/distribution platform AWAL as well as the Kobalt Music Recordings operation. He will report directly to the founder and CEO of Kobalt Music, Willard Ahdritz.
Atlantic Records has promoted Ian Cripps to Vice President of A&R. Based in Los Angeles, Cripps reports to Atlantic President of A&R, Pete Ganbarg. Cripps has worked with the likes of Grammy-nominate DRAM and Sturgill Simpson (MBW).
Pandora has hired a new Chief Marketing Officer. Aimée Lapic joins from Gap Inc and succeeds Nick Bartels who left the company earlier this year.
Global Rights agency Merlin has today announced results of its biennial board elections – including the election of a new Chairman, with Dave Hansen, Epitaph’s SVP of Business Development, replacing Beggars Group founder Martin Mills, who is stepping down by rotation but remains a director. With Hansen moving away from his General Manager role, Epitaph has made some changes. Matt McGreevy is named GM of the label and Anti-, with Hope Selevan VP of Marketing and Digital Strategy.
Facebook has just poached a senior Warner Music Group executive to join its expanding music licensing team, MBW has learned. Perry Bashkoff is SVP, Global Content & Revenue Development at WMG in New York. He has worked for the major for over 15 years, and is understood to be joining Facebook in the new year. Bashkoff's move to Facebook comes after fJeremy Sirota left for the social media giant last month. Sirota previously held the role of SVP, Head of Business and Legal Affairs for Warner's WEA and ADA divisions.
New Def Jam CEO Paul Rosenberg has made the high profile hiring of Rich Isaacson as EVP/GM of the Universal Music label. He's best known for working with acts including Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep at Loud Records alongside Steve Rifkind.
