NEWS
MIA revamps awards format Takes place on Wednesday November 30th at The Marriot, Grosvenor Square New categories More public voting
THE MIA is overhauling its awards night this year, appointing a new event management company, increasing the number of sponsorship opportunities and trimming the number of awards once again. The awards take place on
Wednesday November 30th at the Marriot Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, with all proceeds from the evening going to the Music For All charity. Table prices have been held for the third year in row, with an early bird price of £150 or £1350 for a table of ten. Whilst the number of awards will be cut from 28 to 25, there will be some new categories included including the Best Classical/Orchestral shop, sponsored by Classic FM. Musikmesse will once again sponsor the Best Export Initiative, with the winner getting a free stand at Musikmesse. Rock category awards will be run in conjunction with Future’s
New MIA awards categories are set for this year’s event
Music Radar site, with the public voting on a shortlist of suppliers’ products. For the retail awards
categories, a site will be created allowing shops to nominate themselves, with the public voting on their favourites. Suppliers will
also be able to vote. Event management company
Don’t Panic will be helping to organise the awards night, adding new sponsorship opportunities and looking to attract sponsors from outside of the MI industry. “Many of you have said that
winning an award that the public have determined carries more weight and kudos than previous methods,” said MIA chairman, Paul McManus. “Marketing a winning award also maybe carries more gravitas when the public have decided on the
winner. We are still very keen to see swing tags in shops on winning products that encourage the customers to buy with confidence.” For more information, thoughts or suggestions email
paulmc@mia.org.uk.
Trade applauds Licensing Act changes
THE INDUSTRY has welcomed, with barely disguised joy, the news that the Licensing Act is to be reformed to allow smaller venues to once again host live music events more easily. Tourism
Minister, John Penrose, the Tory MP for Weston- Supermare, who is an opponent of 24-hour
opening hours, has been lobbied by groups including UK Music, which has only recently appointed Paul Latham of Live Nation UK to sit on the UK Music board representing the live music industry. The Licensing Act 2003 was
“ 4 miPRO JUNE 2011
originally introduced as part of the 24-hour drinking legislation to counter accusations that it would lead to uncontrollable behaviour. However, critics of
Small venues are the lifeblood of emerging musicians.
- Paul McManus
the Act say that it is draconian and unfair to a wide array of public venues including churches and schools and that it has been detrimental to grass roots music, driving smaller live venues out of business. Penrose said:
“The current regime makes it harder for new talent to get a chance to perform in front of audiences, imposes a
deadweight cost on small businesses and voluntary bodies who want to put on shows, and in a small but insignificant way reduces our free speech.” For the MI industry, however,
the removal of the need to apply for expensive licences, will be seen as a shot in the arm for the live music scene in the UK and subsequently, music retailers.
MIA chairman, Paul McManus
told MI Pro: “The MIA (along with many others) has long been championing reforms to the Licensing Act and the stranglehold it was putting on small venues and gigs. It has taken far too long, but we are delighted to finally see some
common sense prevailing. Small venues and events are the lifeblood of emerging musicians and we would always want to see a vibrant and varied range of places for music to take place”. JHS MD, Dennis Drumm, said:
“Thank the lord for a bit of common sense, a Government
that cares about business and enterprise, and a recognition of the simple fact that promoting and enabling every possible kind of economic activity is a big part of the answer to getting us out of the hole we’ve been tipped into by 13 years of inappropriate, ill-informed, meddling.”
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