Skov Gets Lifetime Achievement Award

Former Roskilde Festival chief Leif Skov will receive the “Yourope Lifetime Achievement Award” at Europe’s annual festival awards bash at Eurosonic-Noorderslag Jan. 12.

He’s only the second person to receive the honour , presented by the European Festivals organisation and Virtual Festivals Europe, which began when Yourope and the UK’s Virtual Festivals portal teamed to set up the European festival awards.

Last year it went to Jan Smeets from Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands, which the Guinness Book Of Records credits as being the world’s oldest festival.

Yourope general secretary Christof Hube described Skov, who helped build Roskilde to become one of the most prestigious festivals in the world and was also a co-founder of the festivals’ organisation, as “one of the biggest characters in the history of European Festivals.”

“I was lucky enough to be with Leif on the founding board of Yourope. He was and still is a visionary. His primary goal was always to raise the quality standards for European Festivals – not just for Roskilde,” Huber explained.

Skov joined Roskilde in 1972, the second year it was held, and remained with the event until shocking ILMC 2002 by using it as a platform to announce that he’d resigned.

The following day he told Pollstar the aftermath of the 2002 festival, when nine people were killed in a crowd crush, had been part of the reason behind his decision.

“After that, I had to spend more time with the media, and it seemed that others were fully able to take over and that was nice to see,” he said.

In reaction to being told he’d won the award, he said, “Music is great. The world is everything. I’m just me. Young people’s lives and visions carry the highest challenge and motivation for us all. It’s a pleasure to work for these. I’m thankful and humble.

“I receive the award still in service of the music, in respect for youth culture, and with the greatest care for young people of the world.”

Roskilde managing director Henrik Rasmussen says he can’t think of many others who deserve the award as much as Skov does.

“He’s been a major part of turning Roskilde Festival into what it is today. Leif has secured great music bookings as well as handled difficult situations such as the accident in 2000,” he said. “On behalf of the 30,000 volunteers and the employed staff at Roskilde Festival, I wholeheartedly congratulate Leif with this prestigious award.”

The Festival Awards Europe gala ceremony takes at Groningen’s Stadsschouwburg as part of the 25th Anniversary edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag.

Roskilde Festival is nominated in the categories for best major European festival and best European festival lineup.