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TPi AWARDS 2009

A recession-defying audience of around 900 people from across the international live entertainment business gathered in The Great Room at London's Grosvenor House on Monday 9 February for the eighth annual TPi Awards, hosted by comedian and TV/radio personality Phill Jupitus and dedicated to BRITs production supremo Mick Kluczysnki who tragically passed away three days earlier.

A total of 30 awards were presented to the individuals and companies voted as this year's best production world performers by readers of TPi (Total Production International) magazine.

The ceremony began with an introductory number by the house band of the night, the impressive Trio Valore, featuring drummer Steve White of Paul Weller/Style Council fame, bassist Damon Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene) and Hammond organ maestro Seamus Beaghen. Phill Jupitus then made his grand entrance and wowed the audience with his larger than life humour!

Kylie Minogue's X2008 tour scooped the Live Production of the Year prize in the face of stiff competition and through the power of video, the lady herself thanked the voters and acknowledged her tireless crew.

Thirty years after her chart debut with the timeless ‘Stay With Me Till Dawn', singer/songwriter Judie Tzuke stepped up to the stage to present the Backline Technician of the Year and Favourite Rehearsal Facility awards - two of four new categories added by popular demand.

For many, the highlight of the evening came at the end when former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman presented the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival founder, Claude Nobs, with this year's Lifetime Contribution Award.

The TPi Awards 2009 event was sponsored by Barco, Christie Digital, MA Lighting, Martin Professional, Midas, Robe Lighting and Yamaha Commercial Audio.

The technical production was spearheaded by production manager James Cobb of CA Event Management Systems. His team of valued crew and suppliers included lighting designer Martin Brennan, video director Richard Shipman, set consultant Jonathan Perry, show caller Alex Clayton, stage manager Glen Smith, EST, Local Crew, XL Video, Digital Insanity, Orbital Event Communications, PSCo, LiteStructures, Spirit Design, Richard Martin Lighting, Neg Earth Lights, PixelRange, High End Systems, Green Hippo, Arcstream AV, Martin Professional, SKC, Firecracker Works, Blackout and Perry Scenic.

TPi Awards creative director and editor of TPi magazine, Mark Cunningham, praised the crew: "Under extreme pressure and without any rehearsal before the doors opened, the team delivered what many people have said was our best Awards to date, and the cool manner in which James Cobb co-ordinated the troops was exemplary. I can't thank him and the rest of the team enough.

"Phill Jupitus was a terrific host, Trio Valore's flexible musicianship set the perfect tone, and to have living legends like Claude Nobs and Bill Wyman grace our stage was something I'd never dared have imagined when we launched the TPi Awards back in 2002. More than anything, I feel that this is a reflection of a more widespread appreciation of what goes on ‘backstage', and the TPi Awards events are simply a mirror of that understanding."

A full report on the TPi Awards 2009 will appear in the March issue of TPi magazine, and online at www.tpimagazine.com

THE WINNERS
* All awards were presented by Phill Jupitus unless otherwise specified.
LIVE PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
sponsored by BARCO (presented by Mark Leahy)
Kylie: X2008 Tour
TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Timm Cleasby
PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
Helen ‘Hels Bells' Smith
FAVOURITE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION COMPANY
sponsored by CHRISTIE DIGITAL (presented by Gavin Chatfield)
Westfalen Sound
PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
sponsored by CHRISTIE DIGITAL (presented by Gavin Chatfield)
Richard Young
FAVOURITE CREW COMPANY
Showforce
FAVOURITE SOUND RENTAL COMPANY
sponsored by MIDAS (presented by David Cooper)
SSE Audio Group
FRONT-OF-HOUSE ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
sponsored by MIDAS (presented by David Cooper)
Jon Lemon
MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Ben Booker
BACKLINE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR
(presented by Judie Tzuke)
Huw ‘Sid' Pryce
FAVOURITE REHEARSAL FACILITY
(presented by Judie Tzuke)
Music Bank
FAVOURITE RIGGING COMPANY
Summit Steel
RIGGER OF THE YEAR
Gianluca ‘Gana' Ganapini
FAVOURITE VENUE
sponsored by MA LIGHTING (presented by Michael Althaus)
Manchester Evening News Arena
FAVOURITE LIGHTING RENTAL COMPANY
sponsored by MA LIGHTING (presented by Michael Althaus)
Bandit Lites
LIGHTING DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
sponsored by MARTIN PROFESSIONAL (presented by Tony Browne)
Bryan Leitch
FAVOURITE STAGING COMPANY
sponsored by MARTIN PROFESSIONAL (presented by Tony Browne)
Stageco
SET DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Ray Winkler
FAVOURITE SET CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Total Solutions Group
FAVOURITE TRANSPORT COMPANY
EST
FAVOURITE SECURITY/CROWD MANAGEMENT COMPANY
Showsec
FAVOURITE TRAVEL COMPANY
Music By Appointment
FAVOURITE FREIGHT COMPANY
Sound Moves
STAGE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
sponsored by ROBE LIGHTING (presented by Ian W. Brown)
Josh Rosen
FAVOURITE VIDEO SERVICES COMPANY
sponsored by ROBE LIGHTING (presented by Ian W. Brown)
XL Video
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Blue Leach
FAVOURITE CATERING COMPANY
Eat To The Beat
JOHN PEEL UNSUNG HERO AWARD
(presented by Andy Lenthall on behalf of the PSA)
Roger Thomas, truck driver
THE EDITOR'S AWARD (presented by Mark Cunningham)
John Probyn, COO, Live Nation
LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION AWARD
sponsored by Yamaha Commercial Audio (presented by Bill Wyman with Karl Christmas)
Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival

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TPi AWARDS 2009

19th February 2009

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