The Nottingham-based live music company DHP Family behind Dot To Dot and Bearded Theory is delighted to be in the running for six titles across two leading industry awards. The UK Festival Awards shortlists have now been revealed with two nods apiece for Dot To Dot and Bearded Theory as well as the Lace Market based company being up for Promoter of The Year award. With public voting now open up until 4 November, it’s a chance for everyone to vote for their favourites and help to bring the titles home to the East Midlands.
Dot To Dot is nominated for Inner City Festival of the Year and Line-up of the Year for the 20th edition which took place this May. Dot To Dot has also been named as a finalist for Best Independent Festival in the Access All Areas Awards 2025, winners to be revealed 4 December. One of the UK’s original multi-venue metropolitan festivals, Dot To Dot has been bringing thrilling new music to audiences in Nottingham and Bristol for 20 years. This year was the fastest selling to date with a line up led by Fat Dog and Sprints as well as welcoming back The Horrors as special guests.
Conrad Rogan, booker for Dot To Dot, said: “We’re super proud to have made the shortlists for ‘Best Inner City Festival’ and ‘Line-up of the Year’! To be still receiving these nominations after 20 years of the festival is testament to the effort of the team and the thought and planning that goes into the weekend every single year. We strive to deliver an exciting and diverse line-up for Bristol and Nottingham whilst keeping the festival as affordable for ticket buyers as possible, so receiving this recognition means the world. We’re constantly in awe of the talent across the weekend from the 100 cap rooms to the 2000 cap, so here’s to another 20 years of Dot To Dot!”
The five-day camping festival Bearded Theory is up for Independent Festival of the Year and Initiative for Emerging Talent. Taken over by DHP Family in 2023, the festival is going from strength to strength with eight stages and an eclectic line-up spanning the best in alternative music from rock, punk and indie to folk and electronic.
2025 was one for the Bearded history books with many citing the headline set from Iggy Pop – godfather of punk – as a highlight from across the years. English Teacher provided a monumental and poignant headline performance off the back of their Mercury win; Fat Dog worked the crowd into a frenzy; Paul Heaton delighted with his well-loved songs and Manic Street Preachers, one of the quintessential alt rock bands of the last few decades, closed the festival. The Busk Stop Takeover was launched this year working with individuals invested in their local music communities to curate their own bills of upcoming artists. Across the weekend, 21 regional acts were hosted with some of them making their festival performance debut.
Ben Ryles, booker, Bearded Theory, said: “We’ve been working really hard since we took on the festival to book artists that our loyal following would love while also bringing in artists that appeal to new audiences. Working alongside regional music communities to bring more emerging artists into the fold this year via our Busk Stop takeovers was a great experience. We are very proud of our status as an independent and platforming emerging acts throughout our bills is something we consider to be really important; we want to find the headliners of tomorrow. To win these awards would be a wonderful way to celebrate what the festival means to us and the Bearded Theory community.”
The final shortlist nomination sees DHP Family – the Nottingham based company behind Dot To Dot, Bearded Theory and Splendour – in the running as Promoter of the Year. The independently owned and operated festival promoter prides itself on providing a strong independent alternative to the large corporate companies dominating the festival landscape. The small team behind it all put everything into creating unforgettable moments for artists and fans alike.
Anton Lockwood, Director of Live, DHP Family, said: “We don’t do cookie cutter events, we always go the extra mile to offer a memorable, music-driven experience. We have remained fiercely independent in an ever-shifting and increasingly turbulent industry and continue to offer an alternative, with values and vision that set us apart from the rest. This is a huge point of pride for us. Grassroots music and local scenes are fundamental to the development and sustainability of the UK music industry. All artists start somewhere and making sure there are venues and events available to support this is hugely important to us. Integrated with, and also aside from our festival operations, we consistently support grassroots and emerging local musicians in Nottingham at events like Splendour and Dot To Dot, as well as our venues with support slots and open mics throughout the year.”
Public voting is now open and makes up 30 percent of the vote in each category, with the judges making up the remaining 70 percent.
The UK Festival Awards celebrates the very best of the festival industry. The winners will be announced at the Manchester awards event on 2 December.
www.festivalawards.com/vote-now
