Manchester hosts UK Festival Awards 2023 with International Film Festival named among winners - full list

The full winners at the 2023 UK Festival awards have been announced. The ceremony took place at Manchester’s Freight Island on Tuesday December 5. 

The Manchester International Film Festival picked up the award for Best Non-Music festival. This festival was flying the flag for Manchester in the winners enclosure.  The Best Large Festival was won by Download Festival with the Leicestershire metal festival marking its 20th anniversary in 2023- the festival beat Manchester Pride to this award. 

Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival won the award for Best Festival for Emerging Talent. Best New Festival went to Coast Fest, which takes place on Tyneside. 

Those behind the awards said: "It’s amazing to see the whole festival spectrum represented in one room on one night; this year, the 200 festivals that were nominated in the UK Festival Awards entertained around 2.5 million fans, delivered by a combination of energy, creativity and passion. It really is an honour to gather such wonderful people together in celebration of the world’s best festival sector."

Full list of winners at the UK Festival Awards 2023

• The Innovation Award - Tagmix
• Marketing Campaign of the Year - Kendal Calling (Cumbria)
• Transport Impact Innovation Award - Boomtown (Bristol based- site in Hampshire)
• The Sarah Nulty Community Impact Award - Teddy Rocks (Blandford Forum)
• The Festivals' Favourite Artist Agency - Midnight Mango (national)
• The Brand Activation Award - CSM Live for Lidl
• The UK Greener Festival Award - Green Gathering (Chepstow)
• Best Non-Music Festival - Manchester International Film Festival
• Best Metropolitan Festival - Dot to Dot (Nottingham and Bristol)
• The Grassroots Festival Award - Breaking Bands Festival (Bromsgrove)
• Best Festival for Emerging Talent - Tramlines (Sheffield)
• Best Family Festival - Whitchurch Children's Festival (Whitchurch Hampshire)
• Best New Festival - Coast Fest (North Shields Tyneside)
• Line-Up of the Year - Standon Calling (Hertfordshire)
• Best Festival Production - Boomtown
• Promoter of the Year - DHP Family (Nottingham)
• Best Micro Festival - Burn It Down (Torquay)
• Best Small Festival - Barn on the Farm (Gloucester)
• Best Medium Festival - 2000 Trees (Bristol ish)
• Best Large Festival - Download Donnington
• The Outstanding Contribution Award - Nancy Skipper, Julie Chennells from Ginger Owl Production