In conjunction with recently announced Products of the Year, Live Design has also announced the first ever individual Live Design International Awards. These awards are bestowed on professionals who have made significant creative or technical contributions to our industry.
This year's winners were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of industry peers including lighting, set, projection, and sound designers, as well as representatives from manufacturers.
And the winners are…
Yves Aucoin, lighting designer: The Next Generation of Vegas Design,
sponsored by Robert Juliat
Rick Baxter, production electrician: Bridging the Gap Between Broadway and Las Vegas, sponsored by City Theatrical
Bruce Rodgers and Tribe: Sustained Achievement in Set Design for Live Events, sponsored by Barco
The Design Team for The Lord of the Rings: Rob Howell (sets/costumes), Paul Pyant (lights), Simon Baker (sound), The Gray Circle (projection), Greg Meeh (special effects), sponsored by Q1 Production Technologies
Yves Aucoin, lighting designer: The Next Generation of Vegas Design
"Yves always finds the most beautiful and innovative ways to capture my music and transform it into a visual fantasy. His sense of rhythm, the colors and shapes he uses, and his flare for the dramatic, add an incredible level of emotion to the show experience,” says Celine Dion, who has been working with Aucoin since 1989.
Rick Baxter, production electrician: Bridging the Gap Between Broadway and Las Vegas
“The job is not only about your electrical skills, which is a given for anyone doing it, but, most importantly, it is about people skills, up and down the ladder–that is why Rick is among my favorite people to work with,” Steven Ehrenberg, vice president of technical supervision at Live Nation/Broadway Across America, who worked with Baxter on Phantom.
Bruce Rodgers and Tribe: Sustained Achievement in Set Design for Live Events
Rascal Flatts manager, Trey Turner, has nothing but Kudos for Rodgers’ work with the band. “Bruce has brought a cutting edge production to a show that people wouldn’t expect,” says Turner, adding, “He has been able to create something that melds country and pop culture together, and that’s a hard bridge to build.”
The Design Team for The Lord of the Rings: Rob Howell (sets), Paul Pyant (lights), Simon Baker (sound), The Gray Circle (projection), Greg Meeh (special effects).
“This is tremendous news,” said producer Kevin Wallace, when he heard of the award. “Thank you to the judges for honoring The Lord Of The Rings design team who have achieved what many previously believed was impossible—creating Middle-Earth onstage with such success that audiences found themselves stepping into Tolkien's world with their imaginations released.”
A full write-up of the winners, including comments from the judges, will appear in the October issue of Live Design. The awards will be presented by LDI and Live Design magazine in a special ceremony on Saturday, October 21 at LDI2006 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.