The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has announced the shortlist for The Festival Congress Awards 2015. We are hugely excited reveal that GIITTV’s Deputy Editor Simon Godley has received a nomination for the ‘Festival Journalist of the year’ award.
An exiled Scot living in York, Simon Godley has been a critical part of the editorial team for the past three years, driving GIITTV’s live section and spending many long hours editing and subbing writers’ submissions. He has covered a range of gigs and festivals all over the country, from writing extensive reviews of Beacons and Deer Shed to creating beautiful photo galleries of major festivals like Latitude and Glastonbury.
If you’ve been following this site for any length of time you would have undoubtedly come across his brilliant reviews and festival features. And here are some music-related facts about Simon Godley in his own words:
“The first band I ever saw was Yes at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The artist I have seen the most is Bob Dylan – 13 times in total, with first time at Blackbushe Aerodrome in 1978. The longest gig I have ever experienced was Led Zeppelin at Earls Court in 1975 playing a set that approached three and a half hours in length, though CSN&Y the previous year at the old Wembley Stadium was only just short of that. I have seen Tom Waits four times in total – thrice at Edinburgh Playhouse in the 80s and then again 7 years ago in Paris. And I saw The Clash twice at Newcastle Poly in the late 70s, the second of which ended up in a full scale riot between students and “townies”. Of the acts I could have seen and sadly did not, I would list the biggest regrets as being Joy Division, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and Pink Floyd. And if that wasn’t enough I support Glasgow Rangers Football Club.”
The Festival Congress Awards celebrate the diverse and creative community that makes the festival landscape what it is. Hosted by Ben Challis (General Counsel to Glastonbury Festival), this year’s event will take place on Thursday 5th of November at Cardiff University’s Great Hall.
Other award categories include New Festival on the Block, Live Act of the Year, Unsung Hero and Mind-blowing Spectacle.
For a full list of the nominations and more information about the event go to www.festivalcongress.com .
