Live UK’s Awards Summit

This year’s Live UK Summit will for the first time include the Live Music Business Awards, 25 gongs the magazine is handing out to recognise various people and companies that have excelled in their field.

The LMBAs, as they’re being called, will include such categories as best venue teamwork, agent of the year, unsung hero and best record company partner.

Live UK managing editor Steve Parker, who’s also executive producer of the LMBAs and The Summit, sees the awards as a way of seriously recognising the high achievers in the British live music biz on a pan-industry basis.

The winners of each category will be decided by an industry vote from shortlists drawn up by panels of experts.

Asked if the world and particularly the UK didn’t already have enough industry awards, Parker said ILMC’s Arthur Awards aren’t specific to the British market and were never really intended to be taken seriously.

The presentation ceremony will be held at London’s Radisson Blu Portman Hotel Oct. 7, after the close of the second and final day of the magazine’s annual conference.

Key speakers include HMV chief exec Simon Fox, who earlier this year led his company’s takeover of MAMA Group.

John Giddings, Neil Warnock, Stuart Galbraith, Emma Banks, Dave Chumbley and Rob Wilmshurst will be among the panelists.