DHP Family has been named as the National Promoter of the Year at the Live Music Business Awards held last Thursday night at a Gala Ceremony in London’s West End.
Having scooped the accolade last year, DHP was once again crowned winner in a battle with industry heavyweights AEG Live and SJM Concerts. At the Radisson Blu hotel on Portman Square and in front of a full-house containing the industry’s great and good, the award was accepted by DHP Family’s George Akins:
“To win an award like this for the second year running is a fantastic tribute to the hard work and dedication of the DHP team. They have dared to be different, establishing a real rapport with the artists and venues, and I’m immensely proud that the industry has recognised their achievement.”
The award caps a fantastic year for the Nottingham-based company, which has promoted more than 1200 live performances across the country over the past year by artists from Lana del Rey to Ed Sheeran to New Order. DHP Family also operates multiple live venues including the legendary Rock City in Nottingham and Thekla in Bristol and will open its first London venue in November – Oslo in Hackney.
Now in its fourth year, the Live Music Business awards recognise the business people who drive the country’s contemporary live music industry, and come just after the news that music contributed £2bn to the UK economy last year, according to a new study by UK Music and Visit Britain. The Awards were created by the publisher of LIVE UK – the only magazine dedicated to the companies and individuals working in this sector of the creative industries – and winners are voted for by the magazine’s readers.
As well as live music promotion and venue operation, DHP Family runs a number of festivals and is also in the running for several UK Festival Awards to be announced in December.
Five of DHP Family’s festivals are in the running. Winners are decided by public vote with over half a million votes cast last year. To vote, simply visit festivalawards.com/vote before voting closes on 1st November. Everyone who votes is entered into a draw with the chance to win two tickets to every winning festival in the UK Festival Awards next summer.
The nominations are Splendour for Best Medium Festival and Best Family Festival; Dot to Dot for Best Small Festival and Best Metropolitan Festival; Hit the Deck for Best Small Festival; Everywhere for Best Dance Event and Best New Festival; Gathering for Best Metropolitan Festival and Best Small Festival.
The winners will be announced at the UK Festival Awards ceremony which returns to The Roundhouse in London on Monday 2nd December.