Features
European Festival Awards: Ruud Berends Honored For Lifetime Achievement
Ruud Berends, the European networking mastermind, who has shaped many of the UK’s and Europes most influential music conferences, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th European Festival Awards this month.
Berends is the co-founder and head of agenda of IFF in London (UK), and advisor for Westway Lab in Guimaraes (PT), Canadian Music Week in Toronto (CA), and SoAlive Music Conference in Sofia (BG).
Between 2002 and 2018, he was project manager for various Dutch Music Export organisations, and executive producer of the Dutch Impact Parties on behalf of the non-profit music foundation Buma Cultuur, showcasing some of the country’s most promising newcomers.
For more than 20 years, he held the role of head of conference of ESNS, as well as its impactful ETEP, and CEETEP programs, which have now merged into ESNS Exchange. The program is widely recognized as being one of the most effective launch pads for new acts in Europe.
At the time of writing, ESNS Exchange had facilitated more than 5,333 performances at almost 200 festivals by 2,000-plus artists from 37 countries since the program’s foundation in 2003 as ETEP and CEETEP. ETEP, in particular, is the brainchild of Ruud Berends.
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In a previous life, Ruud also was co-founder, DJ, cook, promoter, and toilet cleaner of Youth Centre Débarak in Zutphen, as well as the co-owner of international booking agency Paperclip, which broke the new and alternative scene into the mainstream throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, booking the European tours of Soundgarden, Nirvana, Mudhoney, and their contemporaries.
“Life is full of surprises,” Berends commented, “I did not know that I was up for an award. I am deeply honoured, humbled and grateful to have won the Lifetime Achievement Award. Especially, as it is at the European Festival Awards, an event close to my heart. It means a lot to get this award from this part of the music industry with many friends and music industry family in the room.”
As usual, the EFAs are handed out on the first day of ESNS, which is set to return to Groningen, Netherlands, Jan. 17-20. Full shortlist below.
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European Festival Awards 2023: Shortlist
The Brand Activation Award
Heroes & Hype Festivals & Unilever Axe (GER)
Montreux Jazz Festival & Audemars Piguet (CH)
Rock for People & Komerční Banka (CZ)
Ruisrock Festival & UFF (FI)
Superbloom Festival & FC Bayern München x adidas (GER)
Untold & Regina Maria (RO)
The Take a Stand Award (presented by: Take a Stand)
Provinssi (FI)
Pohoda Festival (SK)
Roskilde Festival (DK)
Sonraìz (ES)
Sziget Festival (HU)
The Green Operations Award (presented by: GO Group)
Boom Festival (PT)
Department Festival (SE)
Roskilde Festival (DK)
The Green Gathering (UK)
We love Green (FR)
The Event Safety Award (presented by: YES Group)
Happiness Festival (GER)
OpenAir St.Gallen (CH)
Pohoda Festival (SK)
Pol’and’Rock Festival (PL)
Rocco del Schlacko Festival (GER)
Promoter of the Year
Alias (FR)
Alter Art (PL)
Artmania (RO)
FKP Scorpio (DE)
Gadget abc Entertainment (CH)
Mad Cool (ES)
Oya Festivalen (NO)
Primavera Sound (ES)
Roskilde Festival (DK)
Sziget Cultural Management (HU)
Agent of the Year
Anne Bewers, Wasserman Music
Chalie Myatt, 13 Artists
David Bradley, WME
Etienne Ziller, Astérios Spectacles
James Whitting, Wasserman Music
Jon Ollier, One Fiinix Live
Jules De Lattre, UTA
Steve Zapp, ITB
Summer Marshall, CAA
Tom Schroeder, Wasserman Music
The Award for Excellence and Passion
Alexander Schulz (DE)
Anders Wahren (DK)
Claire O’Neill (UK)
Eric van Eerdenburg (NL)
Maiju Talvisto (FI)
Michal Thomes (CZ)
Nika Brunet Milunovic (SI)
Nikos Loris (GR)
Stephan Thanscheidt (DE)
Vlad Yaremchuk (UA)
Newcomer of the Year (presented by: ESNS)
Balming Tiger (KR)
Boygenius (US)
Cat Burns (UK)
David Kushner (US)
Skaar (NO)
Son Mieux (NL)
Talk (CA)
The Haunted Youth (BE)
Wizkid (NG)
Yard Act (UK)
Line-Up of the Year (presented by: IQ Magazine)
Glastonbury (UK)
Lowlands (NL)
Mad Cool (ES)
Open’er Festival (PL)
Øya Festivalen (NO)
Primavera Sound (ES)
Rock en Seine (FR)
Rock Werchter (BE)
Roskilde Festival (DK)
Sziget Festival (HU)
Best Small Festival
Flash Festival Tuscany (IT)
Focus in the Park (RO)
Inota Festival (HU)
Jazz in der Park (RO)
Le Guess Who? Festival (NL)
Maifeld Derby (DE)
Noches del Botânico (ES)
Sharpe Festival & Conference (SK)
Sofia Live Festival (BG)
Stars in Town (CH)
Best Medium-Sized Festival
Bilbao BBK Live (ES)
Clout Festival (PL)
Codru Festival (RO)
Heineken Balaton Sound (HU)
Lovefest (RS)
Montreux Jazz Festival (CH)
Nostalgia Retro/Disco/Duture (RO)
Orange Warsaw Festival (PL)
Pohoda Festival (SK)
Rock for People (CZ)
Best Major Festival (presented by: See Tickets)
Beats for Love (CZ)
Colours of Ostrava (CZ)
Electric Castle (RO)
Hurricane Festival (DE)
Nature One (DE)
Neversea Festival (RO)
Open’er Festival (PL)
Primavera Sound (ES)
Sònar (ES)
Ultra Europe (HR)
The Lifetime Achievement Award
Ruud Berends (NL)