Latest 7 magazine

Brighton Festival and Fringe shows honoured in the Latest Awards
75-year-old stripper named “Star of the Festival”

A stripping granny, a secret speakeasy and a world class dance company scooped prizes at the prestigious Latest Awards show for Brighton Festival and Fringe.
The winners of the Latest Awards 2009 were announced on Monday 25 May at a packed and lively ceremony in the Parlure Spiegeltent, Old Steine. The awards were hosted by Latest 7 magazine in partnership with the Parlure and Forward PR. 
Nominations were invited from the public and from reviewers working for local media.
The winners were decided at a meeting on the afternoon of 25 May by a panel of judges representing Radio Reverb, Juice FM, BBC Sussex, Latest 7, GScene, 3Sixty and One80 News. Contributions were received in advance from The Argus, You Got Papped and ThreeWeeks.
The panel whittled the nominations down to a shortlist of runners-up in each of the 15 categories. 
The “Star of the Festival” was named as Lynn Ruth Miller, the 75-year-old stripper, stand-up comic and singer who performed her one woman show Ageing is Amazing at The Quadrant. By the end of the run, the show was so popular the venue was turning away hundreds of people a night.
Fiona Fletcher, whose company Fletch Productions launched new venue Fletch@St Andrew’s this year, won the prize for “Outstanding Contribution to the Festival”. 
Also commended was Andrew Comben, who took over as chief executive of Brighton Festival and Dome last year and brought in Anish Kapoor as guest artistic director for this year’s Festival.
Best International Act went to Hofesh Shechter, the company in residence at Brighton Dome, which was commissioned by the Festival to create exclusive dance events The Art of Not Looking Back and Bangers and Mash.
“Most Groundbreaking Act” went to The Blind Tiger Club, the late night speakeasy held at a secret venue.
The awards ceremony was attended by performers, venue managers and producers, as well as invited guests including new Mayor of Brighton and Hove Ann Norman and her husband Ken. It was compered by award-winning comics Brian Mitchell and David Mounfield, and glamorous drag star Trudi Styles. 
A handcrafted ceramic trophy by Wendy Jung was given to each of the winners, together with a goody bag sponsored by Aveda, Lust, Stick It On, Montezuma’s, Café Delice and Cissy Mo.
Fiona Fletcher said: “I am very thrilled to win, particularly as it was the first year for the venue. It is great to get support and be recognised.
“It would have been impossible to do it without Emily Hahn the project manager and I’d like to say thank you to all the crew, the Friends of St Andrew’s and Gerry McCrudden, Latest magazine and Brighton media, especially the Brighton Visitor and The Argus.”
Rachel Pegg, editor of Latest 7, said: “It is always a huge pleasure to report on and support Brighton Festival and Fringe and this year we were stunned by the breadth and quality of events in both festivals. 
“Deciding on the winners was extremely difficult and we are very grateful to our judges and the hundreds of readers who made nominations.
“Everyone who has a hand in bringing these brilliant festivals to Brighton and Hove should be congratulated.”

Winners

Best Male Performer
Out of the nominations, the top four were:
Danny Alder (A Fistful of Snow)
David Bramwell (The Haunted Moustache)
Danny Seldon & Cary Crankson (The First Domino)
Russell Floyd (The Bullet)

And the winner was:
Danny Alder (A Fistful of Snow)

Best Female Performer
Out of the nominations, the top five were:
Frida Kahlo
Lady Carol of the Moon
Lex Hills (The Bullet)
Lynn Ruth Miller (Ageing is Amazing)
Nicola Haydn (Janis)

And the winner was:
Nicola Haydn (Janis)

Best Music Event
Out of the nominations, the top six were:
Alice Russell
Antony and the Johnsons
Lady Carol of the Moon
June Tabor
Space Dog at Electroplasm
The Levellers

And the winner was:
Lady Carol of the Moon

Best Classical Music Act
Out of the nominations, the top four were:
Brodowski Quartet
Mahler and the Philharmonic Orchestra
Sarah Connolly
The Golden Ensemble

And the winner was:
Brodowski Quartet

Best Cabaret
Out of the nominations, the top five were:
And The Devil May Drag You Under
Frisky and Mannish
Copperdollar
Bourgeois and Maurice
The Aviator Club

And the winner was:
Copperdollar

Best Theatre Performance
Out of the nominations, the top seven were:
The Erpingham Camp
The First Domino
A Fistful of Snow
The Aviator Club
Janis
Chantecleer and Pertelotte
A View From the Bridge

And the winner was:
The First Domino

Best Comedy Show
Out of the nominations, the top five were:
Clever Peter
Tag Comedy
Pappy’s Fun Club
The Haunted Moustache
Legless and Harmless

And the winner was:
The Haunted Moustache

Best International Act
Out of the nominations, the top five were:
Ageing is Amazing
Diamanda Galas
Hofesh Schecter
The Oyster Princess

And the winner was:
Hofesh Schecter

Best Children’s Event
Out of the nominations, the top five were:

Puppet State
The Insect Circus
The Interstellar Circus
The Man Who Planted Trees
The Poet and the Rent

And the winner was:
The Man Who Planted Trees

Best Literature/Workshop Event
Out of the nominations, the top five were:
Jah Wobble and Jon Savage
Hanover Poetry Festival
The Guardian Debates
Don’t Feed the Poets

And the winner was:
Jah Wobble and Jon Savage

Best Outdoor Event
Out of the nominations, the top five were:
Fire, Smoke and Mirrors
Fringe Street
Tabu on Hove Lawns
The Erpingham Camp
The Heroes Run

And the winner was:
The Erpingham Camp

Best Venue
Out of the nominations, the top three were:
Fletch@St Andrews
Parlure Spiegeltent
Upstairs@Three and Ten

And the winner was:
Upstairs@Three and Ten

Most Groundbreaking Act

Out of the nominations, the top four were:
Frisky and Mannish
Philosophy in Pubs
The Blind Tiger Club
The Erpingham Camp

And the winner was:
The Blind Tiger Club

Star of the Festival
Out of the nominations, the top three were:
Lynn Ruth Miller in Ageing is Amazing
Nicola Haydn in Janis
Tabu on Hove Lawns

And the winner was:
Lynn Ruth Miller in Ageing is Amazing

Outstanding Contribution to the Festival
Out of the nominations, the top four were:
Andrew Comben, chief executive of Brighton Festival and Dome
Fiona Fletcher, of Fletch@StAndrews and And The Devil May Drag You Under
Fringe City
Philosophy in Pubs

And the winner was:
Fiona Fletcher of Fletch Productions