LIVE Awards: Judging under way, trophies being created!
Preparations for the third annual LIVE Awards, which will take place in association with Skiddle on Wednesday 11th December at Troxy, East London, have shifted up a gear now we are less than five weeks from the big night. Our esteemed panel of expert judges is running the rule over the category finalists for 2024 … a tougher job than ever given the strength of submissions.
And building on LIVE’s commitment to sustainability, the creative geniuses behind our trophies are working hard to offer our winners a unique, appealing and environmentally conscious memento of a successful evening. With year one’s trophies constructed out of repurposed audio equipment and last year’s shaped by the same waters that brought popular music across the Atlantic and shaped the sound of a generation, this year’s awards take our sustainable approach in a new (but still music focused) direction. Keep an eye on our socials for more details in the coming days.
Limited tables and individual seats for the awards are still available and include a welcome drinks reception, dinner with wine and petit fours, three hours of complimentary drinks, and an afterparty that goes on into the early hours. As LIVE’s primary annual fundraising event, all proceeds from the awards will directly support our work engaging government on a range of sector critical issues, help support our members to meet their sustainability goals and foster a more diverse, equitable and inclusive working environment.
LIVE sits down with Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP
In a sign of the growing importance placed by this Government on the creative industries (and LIVE’s role championing our live music sector), LIVE CEO, Jon Collins was one of just a dozen industry figures invited to meet with the Chancellor this week to discuss the current and future contribution of the UK creative industries and how Government can support us to do more. In addition to raising concerns coming out of last week’s Budget (see below), Jon took the opportunity to highlight how live music, with the right support, can drive growth internationally and domestically (in all parts of the UK). Government action to support the grassroots, liberate domestic and international touring and turbocharge arena and stadia shows, will be repaid many times over with more gigs and festivals, more ancillary spend and an increased tax take.
Budget builds burden on grassroots venues
Last week’s budget was always going to be tough given the economic position inherited by the new Government. With little room for manoeuvre, it was never going to be a giveaway Budget, unfortunately for grassroots venues, it became a takeaway Budget. LIVE welcomed the retention of business rates relief but the decision to reduce this relief from 75% to 40% will increase costs on grassroots music venues already struggling to keep their doors open. This change, as MVT has noted, will leave grassroots venues in a worse position than 2019 (when the last Government, recognising the pressures on grassroots music venues introduced 50% business rates relief). Unless the decision is reversed or other support is put in place, MVT calculates that the benefits of the £7m it raises will be dwarfed by 350 venue closures, 12,000 job losses and communities up and down the UK losing access to music.
Commenting on the Budget, Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy MP reiterated her commitment to universality, noting that, “This government recognises that for millions of people, geography has become destiny. That while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. This Budget has put the Creative Industries front and centre of how we write those people back into our national story and drive opportunity, jobs and prosperity into every community, in every region”. LIVE will be playing those words back to Government, underscoring the need to support grassroots or see opportunities lost and noting how, together, we can meet that commitment to universality and ensure live music is delivered and enjoyed in every town and city across the UK. Commitments in this Budget to retaining the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund theatre and orchestra tax reliefs are welcome. It is critical that the next Budget focuses on growth and enables sectors like live music to achieve their full potential.
LIVE teams up with the CPA to inform MPs consideration of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill
With the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill proceeding through Parliament, LIVE and the CPA were invited to give oral evidence to the scrutiny committee of MPs drawn together to consider the wording of the Bill. LIVE’s Jon Collins joined Melvin Benn, representing the CPA to field questions from MPs for over half an hour.
LIVE was thanked by the Security Minister, Dan Jarvis MP for our “consistent and constructive approach throughout this process, which has been appreciated”. We are very much seen as a critical friend of the Home Office on this bill, and it was good that we had this opportunity to set out our points and respond to questions. Critically, it felt like MPs understood the need to ensure this Bill does not conflict with our current commitments under licensing law.
It was also good to hear direct from the Minister that after the Bill completes its passage through Parliament and becomes an Act, “we expect the implementation period to be at least 24 months”. That suggests the provisions of this Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law or Protect Duty, will not go live until mid-2027 at the earliest. As such, while safety and security will always be an important consideration in how venues and festivals are run, specific licence conditions requiring compliance to this legislation are unenforceable for the next two years or more.
LIVE doubling up at Un-Convention
Always one of the most informative, fun and collegiate of music industry events, Un-Convention Manchester will take place on the 21st and 22nd November 2024 at Band on the Wall. And this year, LIVE is doubling up, participating in the opening panel on the ‘State of the Nation’ and moderating a session on future direction of the independent live sector. Two days of debate and discussion will be separated by a night of new music on the 21st.
And if that was not enough, immediately following on from Un-Convention at Band on the Wall will be the Music Industry + Music Education Conference on Saturday 23rd. Bringing together everyone involved in supporting the next generation of music talent – on stage and behind the scenes – from within education and industry, LIVE members can get 20% off a ticket with the code mime20.
Markets of tomorrow, DBT wants your views
As part of its work on the Government’s planned industrial strategy, DBT has asked if LIVE can help them formulate a list of priority markets over the next 3 years and to share intelligence on developing markets of the future, those that will become more prominent in the next 5-10 years. This will help shape short and long term strategies and related investment behind activity in these markets. If you have thoughts, then please contact LIVE. We will be submitting our thoughts on November 15th with a view to then working with DBT on future export priorities for the creative industries.