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Newsletter: The LIVE Awards 2025 Nominations are now open!

The LIVE Awards 2025 Nominations are now open!


The LIVE Awards are the live music industry’s favourite night of the year & the only time promoters, venues, festivals, agents, managers, production crews, ticketing teams, and more from across the sector come together under one roof.  The Awards recognise and celebrate the individuals and companies driving live music forward, with winners chosen by a carefully selected and diverse panel of professionals from across the industry.

Click here for more information on each category and how to submit your nominations. 

The full awards list for The LIVE Awards 2025 are as follows:

The LIVE Green Award
The LIVE Workforce Award
Venue of the Year
Grassroots Champion
Booking Agency of the Year (x2 categories)
Top Ticketing Service
National Promoter of the Year
Regional Promoter of the Year
Major Festival of the Year 
Festival of the Year
Road Warrior of the Year
Production Supplier 
*Backstage Brilliance Award*
The LIVEtime Achievement Award

The Backstage Brilliance Award is a brand new category for the LIVE Awards 2025 - recognising the individuals, teams, venues, festivals or tours that go above and beyond to create an exceptional backstage experience for artists and crew.

This year's Host is award winning comedian from London, Tom Ward. He has appeared on ‘Live at The Apollo’, ‘Live from The BBC’, 'QI' (BBC), ‘Roast Battle’ , ‘Stand up Central’ and ‘Live From The Comedy Store’ (Comedy Central).

 

LIVE Trust: Historic first meeting next week as more tours come on board

The Royal Albert Hall will host the first meeting of the LIVE Trust next week – a suitably historic setting for this gathering.  Now with a full roster of 11 trustees, the board will come together for the first time to elect a chair and begin the work of developing a funding strategy and grant making policy.  Keep an eye out on LIVE and LIVE Trust socials as we announce the makeup of the board.


 This meeting comes as more tours pledge support (with Stereophonics the latest tour announced) and the latest wave of Trust supporting shows take place (including a phenomenal night at the O2 delivered by the legendary Diana Ross).  You can find out more about the LIVE Trust here.

 

LIVE Welcomes Government Move to Ban NDAs in Cases of Workplace Harassment

LIVE has welcomed the UK Government’s decision to amend the Employment Rights Bill to ban the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevent victims of workplace harassment and abuse from speaking out.  The changes, which are expected to be introduced when the Bill returns to the House of Lords next week, will render NDAs unenforceable where they have been used by employers to silence individuals who have experienced harassment, including sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace.

Gaby Cartwright, Head of Partnerships at LIVE, said:  "LIVE is pleased to see Government taking steps to prohibit the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of abuse and harassment. It is vital that these amendments to the Employment Rights Bill are taken forward. LIVE has long supported legislative reform in this area, and we are grateful to the Women and Equalities Committee for raising this important issue as part of its report into Misogyny in Live Music. The live music industry is taking substantial steps to address the deeply rooted, complex issues of misogyny and discrimination but the industry cannot do this alone. A partnership between Government and the live music industry is essential to deliver the necessary resources and framework to bring about further meaningful change for workers and eradicate misogyny."
LIVE will continue to advocate for safe, inclusive working environments across the live music sector and support measures that empower individuals to speak out without fear.
 
Read more here.

 

LIVE Touring:  Culture Minister commits to securing improved EU touring arrangements

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons held a session this week looking in to the Creative Industries Sector Plan (unveiled by Government last month).  As covered in the last newsletter, there is much to like about the plan – including recognition of the LIVE Trust, a music growth plan, a new Creative Skills Forum, Creative Freelance Champion, Creative Places Growth Fund, strengthening of Agent of Change, implementation of the recommendations from the recent licensing sprint and a net zero public engagement strategy.  

As part of this evidence session, Culture Minister, Chris Bryant was asked about plans for EU touring reform and a timeline for delivery.  In response the Minister noted the positive language that came out of the UK-EU Summit that provides a platform on which to build.  He also set out the value to EU member states of having UK artists perform and his work to engage EU commissioners and his counterparts in member states in a plan to deliver reform.  Most encouragingly, the minister set himself a target of putting reforms in place ahead of the next summit (expected in May 2026).  LIVE looks forward to working with him, and mobilising our UK and EU networks in support of reform.

 

Fan-Led Review of Live Music: have your say

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee are conducting a survey as part of their fan-led review of live music.  This inquiry has the main aim of improving the sustainability of grassroots live and electronic music to safeguard the success of the wider UK music industry.

The committee’s overarching belief is that live music is a good thing and that the UK music industry is a cultural and economic powerhouse but it also faces challenges.  The committee’s aim is to put fans at the heart of how the live and electronic music industry works, and to make sure the Government is listening to them.  They are therefore keen for music fans to complete this survey to share their perspectives and experiences of live music.  The responses will inform the inquiry and will feed into the final report and its recommendations which will go to the government. 

Anyone who is interested in live music is welcome to complete this survey.  So please take this opportunity to have your say and feel free to publicise it with your networks.