Festival Awards Europe 2012 Shortlists

The 4th edition of the European Festival Awards has seen a record-breaking turn-out of festival-fans rallying to support their favourite events and artists. More than a million public votes have been cast across 49 European countries, highlighting the phenomenal passion for music festivals throughout the Continent.

The final shortlists in categories ranging from Best Major Festival to Anthem Of The Year can now be revealed. The winners will be announced and presented with their accolades at the European Festival Awards gala ceremony which crowns the opening night of the Eurosonic Noorderslag conference and showcase in Groningen, Holland on Wednesday 9th January 2013. The event features a 3 course gourmet dinner, drinks reception and after show party and is a unique opportunity to celebrate with the leaders of Europe’s festival industry.

Tickets to the event are available now from €30 euro at eu.festivalawards.com

Steve Jenner, Festival Awards co-founder, comments: “The European festival industry has its challenges like any other at this time, but clearly public demand is not one of them. This year’s shortlists give a revealing snapshot of the vibrancy and direction of the market. It is interesting to see so many electronic-focused events shining through in this year’s results.”

More than 250 European Festivals representing 33 countries had applied to take part in this year’s awards.

And the Shortlists are...

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL
1. EXIT Festival (Serbia)
2. Heineken Open'er Festival (Poland)
3. Hurricane & Southside (Germany)
4. Optimus Alive (Portugal)
5. Rock Werchter (Belgium)
6. Roskilde Festival (Denmark)
7. Sziget (Hungary)
8. Tomorrowland (Belgium)
9. Wacken Open Air (Germany)
10. Woodstock Festival (Poland)

BEST MEDIUM-SIZED FESTIVAL
1. Area4 Festival (Germany)
2. Electric Picnic Music & Arts Festival (Ireland)
3. Heineken Balaton Sound (Hungary)
4. Lokerse Feesten (Belgium)
5. Melt! Festival (Germany)
6. OFF Festival (Poland)
7. Pohoda Festival (Slovakia)
8. Rock-A-Field (Luxembourg)
9. Smukfest (Denmark)
10. Ursynalia - Warsaw Student Festival (Poland)

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL
1. Absolutely Free Festival (Belgium)
2. Appletree Garden (Germany)
3. Bialystok Pozytywne Wibracje Festival (Poland)
4. Grape Festival (Slovakia)
5. Mini-Rock-Festival (Germany)
6. Plai (Romania)
7. Tauron New Music Festival (Poland)
8. Vestrock (The Netherlands)
9. We Love Green (France)
10. Winterthurer Musikfestwochen (Switzerland)

BEST NEW FESTIVAL
1. Electro Magnetic (Germany)
2. Dimensions Festival (Croatia)
3. Hadra Trance Festival VI (France)
4. Liss Ard Music Festival (Ireland)
5. Mair1 Festival (Germany)
6. Pestivals (Latvia)
7. Ronquieres Festival (Belgium)
8. Vestrock Junior (The Netherlands)
9. Warriors Dance Festival (Serbia)
10. XO Live (The Netherlands)

BEST INDOOR FESTIVAL
1. Blues in Hell (Norway)
2. Dia De La Musica (Spain)
3. Eurosonic Noorderslag (The Netherlands)
4. I Love Techno (Belgium)
5. Le Printemps De Bourges (France)
6. Reeperbahn Festival (Germany)
7. Sensation (Denmark)
8. Sensation (Netherlands)
9. The Rolling Stone Weekender (Germany)
10. Waves Vienna (Austria)

BEST EUROPEAN FESTIVAL LINE-UP
1. Melt! Festival (Germany)
2. Optimus Alive (Portugal)
3. Primavera (Spain)
4. Pukkelpop (Belgium)
5. Rock am Ring / Rock im Park (Germany)
6. Rock Werchter (Belgium)
7. Roskilde Festival (Denmark)
8. Southside / Hurricane (Germany)
9. Tomorrowland (Belgium)
10. Way out West (Sweden)

ANTHEM OF THE YEAR
1. Die Toten Hosen “Tage wie dieser”
2. Florence & The Machine “Shake it out”
3. Foster the People “Pumped up Kicks”
4. Jack White “Seven Nation Army”
5. Lykke Li “I follow Rivers”
6. M83 – “Midnight City”
7. Mumford & Sons “Little Lion Man”
8. Of Monsters and Men “Little Talks”
9. The Black Keys “Lonely Boy”
10. Will and the People “Lion in the morning sun”

HEADLINER OF THE YEAR
1. Bon Iver
2. Florence & The Machine
3. Foo Fighters
4. Jack White
5. Mumford & Sons
6. Pearl Jam
7. The Black Keys
8. The Cure
9. The Killers
10. The Stones Roses

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR with Eurosonic Noorderslag
1. Alabama Shakes
2. Alt J
3. Anna Calvi
4. Azealia Banks
5. Dope D.O.D
6. Dry the River
7. Ewert and the Two Dragons
8. Jessie Ware
9. Kraftklub
10. Of Monsters and Men

ARTISTS’ FAVOURITE FESTIVAL *
1. OpenAir St.Gallen (Switzerland)
2. Optimus Alive (Portugal)
3. Oya Festivalen (Norway)
4. Parades de Coura (Portugal)
5. Primavera Sound (Spain)
6. Pukkelpop (Belgium)
7. Rock Werchter (Belgium)
8. Way out West (Sweden)
9. Roskilde (Denmark)
10. Woodstock (Poland)

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR with Virtual Festivals Europe
1. Everything is new in Lisbon (Portugal)
2. ID & T (The Nederlands)
3. Live Nation (Belgium)
4. Luger (Sweden)
5. Pukkelpop (Belgium)

GREEN OPERATIONS AWARD with Yourope and The GO Group
1. Boom Festival (Portugal)
2. Maifeld Derby (Germany)
3. Open Air St.Gallen (Switzerland)
4. Way Out West (Sweden)
5. We Love Green (France)