Variety Live Business Breakfast 2024: All The Winners
That’s a wrap! Sydney’s 12-Micron on Thursday (June 13) hosted the inaugural Live Business Breakfast, presented by Variety Australia and Twilio.
More than 100 leaders of the live industry were on hand as special awards were handed out, recognition for excellence in live entertainment.
The Music Network now unveils the winners in each of those seven categories.
Festival of the Year Award: Bluesfest
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Peter Noble’s Bluesfest defies the odds and collects another win for an already amply-stocked trophy cabinet. In a tough time for festivals, Bluesfest shines. And it will be “125 million per-cent back in 2025,” organisers say.
Best Australian Theatre Award: “& Juliet”
One of the must-see musical performances in ‘& Juliet’.
Produced by Michael Cassel Group, “& Juliet” is the Max Martin jukebox that popped in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, retelling the greatest famous love story of them all with some of the all-time pop gems.
Best Australian Comedy Tour Award: Jimmy Carr’s “Terribly Funny”
Jimmy Carr
British funnyman Jimmy Carr had them rolling in the aisles for his “Terribly Funny” tour, which lapped the country for 89 shows. Proof that we all need a good laugh right now. Chin up!
Best Australian Music Tour Award: P!nk
Michael Coppel, Pink and Roger Davies
Australians have always loved P!nk. With her “Summer Carnival Tour” selling 970,000 tickets (including an all-time record 20 stadium shows), more Australians showed their love then ever before. It’s a record-setter several times over. Don’t hold your breath for another tour of this scale.
Live Business Award: Untitled Group
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By selling more than 500,000 tickets in the latest summer season, including best-ever results across a string of brands, including Beyond The Valley and Wildlands, Untitled Group is bucking the trend, and leading the way in a difficult climate for live event festivals.
Promoter of the Year Award: Frontier Touring
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After the crushing double-blow of the pandemic and the loss of its inspirational leader, Michael Gudinski, Frontier Touring blew off the doors in 2023 with a record-breaking year, and a hot run into 2024. Frontier’s big stretch included tours by Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Robbie Williams, BLACKPINK, Kraftwerk, Paramore, plus homegrown talent The Teskey Brothers, DMA’S, G Flip and many others.
Best Live Event Marketing Campaign Award: Fred again…
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A surprise album release is one thing, a surprise arena tour is an altogether different ballgame. Fred Again created history with his national “pop up” trek. The adventure shifted 230,000 tickets and no doubt created some sleepless nights for the teams behind the fun: Handsome Tours, Laneway Presents, Teg Live and Astral People.