KOI-USA 2018 Announces Judging Panel for Concert Touring & Events Category

The inaugural American Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI-USA), which brings this renowned celebration of the achievements of show lighting and video designers to the United States for the first time, is pleased to announce the full judging panel for the five awards in the Concert Touring & Events category.

Concert Touring & Events judging panel:

  • John Featherstone, principal lighting designer and founder of Lightswitch and chair of the judging panel, has worked with The Pretenders, Van Halen, Duran Duran and Bryan Adams, to name but a few
  • Barry Lather, creative director, began his career starring as a dancer in Michael Jackson's film Captain EO, and has since gone on to direct world tours for Usher, Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Carrie Underwood
  • Angie Warner, touring manager for Guns'n'Roses, has more than 18 years' experience in the industry and has previously worked with NSYNC and Imagine Dragons
  • Yelena Filipchuk, artist and co-founder of installation art collective HYBYCOZO, creator of large-scale, laser-cut geometric sculptures
  • Marian Sandberg, Live Design content director, has been writing in the entertainment technology industry for more than 20 years
  • John Huddleston, director of leading event production supplier, Upstaging Inc.

The Concert Touring & Events judging panel for KOI-USA. Clockwise from top left: John Featherstone, Marian Sandberg, Barry Lather, Angie Warner, Yelena Filipchuk, John Huddleston.

"We work in an industry full of talented, passionate and incredibly creative people," says John Featherstone. "I could not be happier that the prestigious Knight of Illumination Awards has come to North America so that we can recognize this on both sides of the Atlantic. I am so looking forward to judging the nominations in the company of such a diverse and talented panel of judges. It's going to be quite the task, but if anyone is up to it, this group is!"

Looking forward to commencing her duties as a Concert Touring & Events judge, Marian Sandberg outlines what she will be looking for: "Lighting and video, whether subtle and understated or over-the-top and explosive, infuses energy into the live experience that every audience member or guest can feel, whether or not they can explain it. That's what makes a great design."

Nominations for the first Knight of Illumination Awards USA are open until the 31 July. Nominations can be made in all three awards categories - Concert Touring & Events, Theatre, and Live for Broadcast - via the Knight of Illumination USA website. www.knightofilluminationawards.com.

Once nominations have closed the panel will meet to select the three final shortlisted designs and one winner for each award. The winners will be unveiled at the 2018 ceremony and gala dinner at The Foundry, SLS Hotel, Las Vegas on October 20, coinciding with the 30th anniversary celebration of LDI.

About The Knight of Illumination Awards
Since its inception in 2007, The Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) has celebrated international lighting and video content design for entertainment.

KOI-USA recognises work broadcast or performed in the US across the fields of Concert Touring & Events, Theatre and Live for Broadcast. Judging is carried out by three independent panels of industry experts.

The KOI awards were conceived by renowned LD Durham Marenghi, Jennie Marenghi and Italian lighting manufacturer Claypaky who, along with ACT Lighting, are headline sponsor of the KOI-USA Awards. The Awards and ceremony are managed by America's leading entertainment technology trade show, LDI, in partnership with specialist content creation company The Fifth Estate on behalf of the KOI Committee.