A number of Liverpool’s music festivals have been recognised among the best in the world as they are nominated for the 2015 Festival Awards.

Running for a 12th year, the Festival Awards recognise the best events around the UK and overseas recognising the hard work, vision and creativity of the festival industry. Winners are decided by a fan vote and judging panel with six of Liverpool’s festivals nominated for awards which take place in November.

The city’s Threshold  Festival is nominated for best Metropolitan Festival alongside Liverpool Calling, Liverpool Music Week and Sound City, and the Grass Roots award alongside Liverpool Calling. Africa Oye, along with Liverpool International Music Festival, has been nominated for the Best Family Festival accolade.

Responding to the shortlist announcement, Chris Carney, Threshold Festival director, says: “We’re absolutely honoured to be nominated in four categories for this year’s UK Festival Awards. To be up there with some of the great festivals in the running is a testament to the incredible hard work our team have put in over the years.”

Sound City festival director, Dave Pichilingi adds: “We are delighted to be nominated for the UK Festival Awards.

“This was a massive year for us and it is fantastic to be recognised for the work we do in our city.  It is also great to see so many of our city friends nominated.

“It goes to show the depth and the breadth of the cultural offer coming out of the region.”

The artistic director of Africa Oye, Paul Duhaney, has also welcomed the recognition and says: “It’s great to be nominated in the Festival Awards again this year and to see other Liverpool festivals like our friends at Sound City and Threshold up there as well.

“We’ve always said our audience are the best festival-goers in the world and the support they continue to show us is amazing”

Liverpool Calling – nominated for two awards – were shocked with the announcement with the festival only in its third year after launching in 2013 at the St Luke’s ‘Bombed Out’ Church and the Shipping Forecast.

A spokesperson for the festival says: “We’re absolutely shocked and ecstatic to have been nominated for 2 UK Festival Awards. We couldn’t believe it when we got the news.

“We are up against some brilliant festivals such as Threshold, ArcTanGent, Sound City and more, it is so exciting to be rubbing shoulders with such brilliant festivals.

“This is something we started out with the intention of just putting on a good show in an amazing venue, what it has become is far beyond anything we ever planned or expected so thank you to everybody who has supported us, bought a ticket and played our event along the way. It’s been awesome so far.”

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