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13/02/2011

Fairport win at TPi Awards 2011

The 'Total Production International' awards event honours all of the behind the scene skills and services such as live event organisers, sound engineers, lighting directors, show and video designers and other industry professionals. Obviously it is aimed at the really big players in the industry, the winner of Best Live Production was Gorrilaz Escape to Plastic Beach. Yet amongst all those mainstream hits Fairports Cropredy Convention received the Editors award.

Director Gareth Williams collected the coveted award on behalf of Fairport Convention, the folkrock group which hosts Cropredy.

Gareth Williams says: "Fairport's festival at Cropredy has been staged for over 30 years and for much of that time has remained relatively unnoticed by the music industry. Or so we thought. We are all truly touched by this recognition by our peers in the industry and we want to thank Mark Cunningham for the accolade of the TPi Editor's Award."

At the annual awards ceremony, Total Production International honours live event organisers, sound engineers, lighting directors, show and video designers and other industry professionals.

Mark Cunningham, Editor-in-chief of TPi, selects and presents his Editor's Award for outstanding achievements. Past recipients have included U2's production staff and the Led Zeppelin O2 reunion crew.

Mr Cunningham said: "It's a pity Cropredy tends to slip under the radar when it comes to awards because it deserves to be recognised as being up there with the very best. And this year, TPi is doing just that."

Fairport Convention bandmembers could not attend the TPi Awards because the band is currently on tour. However, they were able to thank the 1,000 guests at the awards ceremony by video on the event's big screen.

Dave Pegg, Fairport's bassist, said: "Cropredy is the highlight of our year so it's an honour and a delight for us to get this award. I'd like to thank all the festival staff down the years, Gareth Williams who's holding the fort for us tonight, Simon Nicol, the rest of the band and all the loyal fans who come every year and make the event such a success. Thank you all."

Fellow bandmember Simon Nicol added: "This is the most amazing surprise – we never thought when we started out all those years ago that one day we'd be getting an award like this. Cropredy festival is a fine event but it only works because of all the professionals who put their backs into it . To all of them and to our festival-goers, a big thank you."

www.tpawards.com

www.fairportconvention.com