Producers Excess All Areas have announced that they have “no plans” to hold the London Cabaret Awards next year.
Although there has been no confirmation on social media, the official London Cabaret Awards website states that “Excess All Areas currently has no plans for a London Cabaret Awards in 2015/2016.”
The awards hit a low in 2014/2015 with the appointed judges making some controversial choices including:
- Nominating a variety show in the “best speciality act” category
- Longlisting a venue that had only had one cabaret show over the year
- Picking for Best Ongoing Show a production which has only appeared once in London and, even then, in the previous qualifying year.
As recently as just two months ago, Excess All Areas announced that the awards would continue, albeit with an important change in tack. The company asked for suggestions for the next set of judges in March but a press release sent out on 5 May suggested that there would no longer be an appointed panel. Instead, it would be left to the general public and artists to vote for the winners – something we first advocated over a year ago.
‘Excess All Areas are pleased to announce that the 5th London Cabaret Awards, a celebration of the growing cabaret scene in London, will be voted for entirely by the public and cabaret community for the first time for the 2016 ceremony.
‘Paul L Martin, owner of Excess All Areas and founder of the London Cabaret Awards, says “Who better than these amazing artistes and their unflinching supporters to reward the best and brightest for their contribution to this exciting and vibrant scene? I am looking forward to seeing what a diverse and talented group of shortlisted creatives will populate our annual celebration as a result of opening up the nominations of such a niche and often misunderstood genre to the very people who are the most informed and passionate about it.
‘The full voting process will be announced Summer 2015, with nominations open from September 1st.’
Scroll forward another two months and it appears that the London Cabaret Awards have been scrubbed, at least for this year. This follows on from the abandonment in 2014 of the Time Out & Soho Theatre (TO&ST) award which ran for two years and leaves the UK’s burgeoning cabaret scene without a dedicated event recognising its many talents on and off stage.
What a disgrace.