Get Involved
Get Involved
Get Involved

Welcome to the 2021
Music Cities Awards Ceremony
in partnership with
.png)
A welcome from Luke Jones,
CEO of Music Cities Events
Learn more about Visit Bentonville
Download the 2021 official event programme and learn more about our speakers, nominated projects, jurors and partners:
Meet the 2021 Nominees
Click the boxes for more info










Headline Sponsor

Bentonville is an up-and-coming music destination with musical roots that run deep throughout Northwest Arkansas. If you're a songwriter, musician, touring band, entertainment entrepreneur, or just someone who loves live music - this New American Town and its vibrant music scene is the place for you.
Supporting Sponsors
2021 Music Cities Awards
Schedule
Hover over the boxes to find out more!

-
Moderator: Aaron Mullins, Director of Communications & Market, Visit Bentonville (USA)
-
Panelist 1: Anna-Luise Oppelt & Mareike Neumann, Managing Directors, Bach by Bike (Germany)
-
Panelist 2: Julie Turpie, General Manager, Events, Destination NSW (Australia)
-
Panelist 3: Major Kathy Versfeld, Mission Director, Strawberry Field (UK)
AWARD 4:
Best Use of Music to Drive Tourism - in partnership with Visit Bentonville
9.00pm - 9.30pm UTC

-
Moderator: Steven Fulbright, Vice President of Sales & Services, Visit Macon (USA)
-
Panelist 1: Kath Wynne-Hague, Head of Culture & Tourism, Kirklees Council (UK)
-
Panelist 2: Phil Plata, Founder & Director, Pueblos Blancos Music Festival (Spain)
-
Panelist 3: Dr. Sophie Galaise, Managing Director, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Australia)
AWARD 1:
Best Use of Music in Towns and Cities - in partnership with Visit Macon
9.30pm - 10.00pm UTC

-
Moderator: Brea Mullen, Program Manager, Tulsa Office for Film, Music, Arts & Culture (USA)
-
Panelist 1: Carly Heath, Night-Time Economy Advisor, Bristol City Council (UK)
-
Panelist 2: Nicholas White, President, YCK Laneways Association Inc (Australia)
-
Panelist 3: Martina Brunner, Organization Developer, Vienna Club Commission (Austria)
AWARD 6:
Best Night Time Economy Initiative - in partnership with Tulsa Office for Film, Music, Arts & Culture
10.00pm - 10.30pm UTC

-
Moderator: Ammo Talwar, CEO, Punch Records (UK)
-
Panelist 1: Vicki Gordon, Founding Executive Producer, Australian Women in Music Awards & Conference Program (Australia)
-
Panelist 2: Peter Mandel, Co-Founder, Handiclapped (Germany)
-
Panelist 3: Dwyn Griesel, CEO, Kronendal Music Academy (South Africa)
AWARD 2:
Best Initiative to Support Diversity & Inclusion in Music
10.30pm - 11.00pm UTC

-
Moderator: Kate Durio, CEO of North America, Sound Diplomacy (USA)
-
Panelist 1: Mark Roach, Director, Auckland UNESCO City of Music (New Zealand)
-
Panelist 2: Simone Schinkel, CEO, Music Victoria (Australia)
-
Panelist 3: Abby Kurin, Executive Director, Tulsa Office for Film, Music, Arts & Culture and Vice President of Film, Arts & Culture at Tulsa Regional Tourism (USA)
AWARD 8:
Best Global Music Office
11.30pm - 12.00am UTC

-
Luke Jones, CEO, Music Cities Events (UK)
-
Kalene Griffith, President, Visit Bentonville (USA)
MUSIC CITIES AWARDS CEREMONY:
OFFICIAL WELCOME
6.15pm - 6.30pm UTC

-
Moderator: Ambre Dromgoole, Research Associate, Sound Diplomacy (USA)
-
Panelist 1: Josh McNorton, Cultural Director, Wembley Park & Kate Jones, Director at Busk in London (UK)
-
Panelist 2: Dayna Frank, CEO First Avenue Productions - Board President NIVA (USA)
-
Panelist 3: Teresa Knox, CEO, The Church Studio (USA)
AWARD 7:
Best Use of Music in Real Estate
7.30pm - 8.00pm UTC

-
Moderator: Lorena Sander, Legal Innovation Advisor, UNDP (USA)
-
Panelist 1: Berish Bilander, CEO, Green Music Australia (Australia)
-
Panelist 2: Ruth Weber, Music Professor, Ruth and EmiliaRuth and Emilia (USA)
-
Panelist 3: Dora Gyorfi, Sinden, Wayang Sampah - Wangsa (Hungary / Indonesia)
AWARD 5:
Best Use of Music to Support Sustainability
12.00am - 12.30am UTC

-
Moderator: Angela Ndambuki, Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, IFPI (Kenya)
-
Panelist 1: Stephen Mutuku, Chief Music & The Arts Development Officer, Government of Makueni County (Kenya)
-
Panelist 2: Jordan Knepper, Executive Director, Piqua Arts Council (USA)
-
Panelist 3: Lisa La Rocca, Director of Operations, Sonic Unyon Records (Canada)
AWARD 3:
Best Initiative to Directly Support Musicians
6.30pm - 7.00pm UTC

-
Moderator: Silja Fischer, Secretary General, International Music Council (France)
-
Panelist 1: Mark Roach, Director, Auckland UNESCO City of Music (New Zealand)
-
Panelist 2: Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director, CMA Foundation on behalf of Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association (USA)
-
Panelist 3: Stephen Mutuku, Chief Music & The Arts Development Officer, Government of Makueni County (Kenya)
AWARD 9:
Public Service Award for a Leading Music Cities Advocate
8.00pm - 8.30pm UTC

-
Moderator: Kath Wynne-Hague, Head of Culture and Tourism, Kirklees Council (UK)
-
Panelist 1: Amanda Burgener & Matt Masters Burgener, Co-Founders, Curbside Concerts (Canada)
-
Panelist 2: Ben Price, Director, Everything Is Music by Crack Magazine & Landmrk (UK)
-
Panelist 3: Kristoffe Biglete, Head of Growth & Marketing, Low-Fi Concerts (Denmark)
AWARD 10:
Best Innovation to Support Musicians or Music in Cities - in partnership with Kirklees Year of Music 2023
7.00pm - 7.30pm UTC

