New Award To Recognise UK’s Unsung Music Personalities
| 24th May 2016
Online ticketing brand WeGotTickets is launching a new campaign to celebrate unsung heroes furthering live music in the UK. The campaign, INDIE50, will feature a list of 50 individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to cultivate the UK’s indie landscape, boosting emerging talent and advancing regional scenes.
The list, due to be revealed in August 2016, will be chosen by a panel of 6 judges. Consisting of BBC 6 Music tastemaker Tom Ravenscroft, whose weekly Recommends show promotes the very best in under-the-radar talent to a huge global audience, Laura Snapes a leading music writer for various outlets such as Pitchfork and The Guardian and Jason Edwards, live agent at Coda Agency, whose indie outlook has seen him build a roster including Years & Years, Alessia Cara and Grimes. As well as Kevin Moore, General Manager at new music festival The Great Escape, and Stephen Bass, owner of longstanding indie imprint Moshi Moshi, who released early records from Hot Chip, Bloc Party and Disclosure.
INDIE50 begins with a public nomination period, calling for anyone across the UK to put forward individuals they think deserve to be recognised for their contribution to a specific local scene from across the UK’s cities, towns and music hot-spots. Nominations will close on the 31st May and, from this, a shortlist will be drawn up, with the final 50 being decided by the panel of six industry experts.
The panel will also be joined by WeGotTickets’ Founder Dave Newton, who comments; “We’ve been helping people put on events for 15 years and wanted to recognise the independent spirit that we see in so many of them. We’re looking forward to seeing who makes the list as well as hearing some of the stories behind them.”
From gig-going fans, to headline acts who have had a leg-up from someone along the way, nominations for the INDIE50 are open to all via WeGotTickets’ website. Whether it be influential club promoters, managers, bookers, sound engineers, journalists, even the door person at your local venue, INDIE50 looks to celebrate some of the personalities working at the grassroots level that help make the UK’s world-renowned live scene so fertile.
Speaking on behalf of the INDIE50 panel, BBC 6 Music’s Tom Ravenscroft also commented: “Although the indie music scene is flourishing at the moment, it tends to be certain sounds or fashions that get all the attention. There are lots of people doing great things behind the scenes that aren’t necessarily getting the recognition they deserve.”
Once announced in August, the final INDIE50 will be commemorated in a special photographic exhibition, serving as a unique snapshot of the UK’s vibrant indie communities.
For more information or to submit a nomination visit: www.INDIE50.co.uk