Best Major Festival

In association with

Campsites that sprawl for miles, multiple arenas booming from noon until late, tens of thousands of people out for a good time and some of the biggest and best bands in the world. Major festivals may take a year to plan but organisers have only two or three days to get things exactly right. They are an annual must for any outdoor-loving music freak, but which giant was your favourite this year?

Other contenders:
Download Festival (info)
Global Gathering (info)
Hard Rock Calling (info)
Isle Of Wight Festival (info)
Leeds Festival (info)
Reading Festival (info)
Sonisphere (info)
T In The Park (info)
Godiva Festival (info)
V Festival Chelmsford (info)
V Festival Staffordshire (info)

Best Dance Event

Evolving from a combination of acid house and raves, dance events are the features at festival dedicated solely to all aspects of the genre. So whether it’s a dubstep tent or a drum n bass arena, the dance event is the one place you’re bound to see people grooving. But which event proved the best this summer?

Other contenders:
Beach Break Live - The Forest of Kernow (info)
BLOC Weekend (info)
Creamfields (info)
Global Gathering (info)
Out To Graze - various venues (info)
Rock Ness - various venues (info)
Standon Calling - Barbarella's Loveship (info)
The Big Chill - various venues (info)
Glade Festival (info)
Bestival - various stages (info)
Camp Bestival - various stages (info)

Best Headline Performance

Blur - Glastonbury

In association with

Albums can define a band but festival headline sets can define a generation. They can be the pinnacle of an act’s lifespan, carving them an illustrious career or they can reignite a revival from a dormant band. To succeed they must exude an extensive appeal, capture a crowd of thousands to include every single one and deliver a colossal performance. Some of the acts may have played more than one festival, but at which show did they tick the most boxes?

Other contenders:
Blur - T In The Park (info)
Kings Of Leon - Leeds Festival (info)
Kraftwerk - Bestival (info)
The Levellers - Beautiful Days (info)
Metallica - Sonisphere (info)
Radiohead - Reading Festival (info)
Slipknot - Download (info)
Tiesto - Creamfields (info)
Underworld - Glade Festival (info)
Dizzee Rascal - Beach Break Live (info)
The Prodigy – Global Gathering (info)

Virtual Festivals Critics' Choice Award

The Prodigy - Glastonbury Festival

In association with

This award is designed to celebrate those special acts who added something a little extra to their festival show. It could be comedy, nostalgia, crowd interaction or just that 'secret ingredient' - basically something that sets them apart from other performers as a real crowd pleaser.

Other contenders:
Alabama 3 - Rock Ness (info)
Carl Cox - Bestival (info)
Dead Kids - Standon Calling (info)
Eliza Carthy - Big Session Festival (info)
La Casa Azul - Indie Tracks (info)
Mean Poppa Lean - The Great Escape (info)
Pet Shop Boys - T In The Park (info)
The Specials - V Festival Chelmsford (info)
Thom Yorke - Latitude (info)
ZZ Top - Download (info)
Bon Iver - Camp Bestival (info)