For the 5th year in a row, and the 7th time overall Bluesfest has been nominated in the prestigious 2016 Annual Pollstar Awards in the category of ‘International Music Festival of the Year’. The 27th Bluesfest was held over the 2016 Easter long weekend, and featured headliners Kendrick Lamar, The National, Brian Wilson, Tom Jones, D’Angelo, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and many more. Bluesfest has been recognised alongside international festival heavyweights The Barclaycard British Summer Time Hyde Park (UK), The Glastonbury Festival (UK), Lollapalooza Berlin (Germany), Primavera Sound (Spain) and Rock Werchter (Belgium).
Bluesfest is especially proud to be the only Australian festival nominated in the last decade. The 28th Annual Pollstar Awards will be held on the 2nd of February 2017 at The Novo in Los Angeles. The Pollstar Awards honour artists, management, talent buyers, venues, support services and more for their professionalism, achievements and abilities. Winners are determined by votes from agents, managers and promoters of concerts around the world.
Bluesfest is also proud to report that its touring arm, Bluesfest Touring, is the third highest Australian organisation on Pollstar’s list of the 100 top international promoters for the third quarter of 2016. Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, the home of Bluesfest was also named as the 38th most successful outdoor/festival site in the world, the only Australian site to be recognised by the influential publication.
Closer to home, Bluesfest has been named as a finalist in the Best Major Festival and Event category in the NSW Tourism Awards. The festival has won six awards – three gold and three silver previously. The winners for 2016 will be announced on November 24 at a gala event in Sydney. The festival also won Gold in the Major Festival and Event category in the North Coast Tourism Awards this August.
Peter Noble, Bluesfest director, responds to the nomination:
Bluesfest is proud to be nominated for this prestigious award for the 5th year in a row! We are in good company alongside Glastonbury once again – they are the only other festival to receive as many nominations this decade.
This accolade is awarded by our industry peers, who we would like to thank for their ongoing support. Now let’s knock off the Holy Grail and see this award won by someone outside the UK for the first time in history!
Fingers crossed, but I’m not holding my breath.
Peter Noble OAM
Director
Byron Bay Bluesfest
The 2017 Bluesfest playing schedule is available at bluesfest.com.au