Concert for Ukraine, which was hosted at Resorts World Arena on the 29th March 2022, won ‘Event of the Year’ at TheStadiumBusiness Awards against a strong shortlist of high rpfile sports events.
The winning event was a two-hour live spectacular raised over £13.4 million in funds for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The show saw Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sandé, Gregory Porter and Snow Patrol perform live on ITV.
ITV, STV, Livewire Pictures, the NEC Group and its suppliers joined forces with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and the Media & Entertainment group Global to bring together names from the world of music for a unique event spreading a message of hope and support, and most importantly, raise funds for the ongoing DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
The event was nominated alongside UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, Rugby League World Cup 2021, Barca in Sydney (VenuesLive), Women’s Rugby World Cup (Eden Park), and NFL’s Touchdown in Germany (Allianz Arena).
Now in their 14th year, TheStadiumBusiness Awards are the only awards to recognise a whole spectrum of achievements from across the global stadium industry.
The awards ceremony took place in front of an audience of global senior industry figures.
Angela Roberts, Group Health & Safety Manager at the NEC Group was also shortlisted in the ‘Unsung Hero’ category for her leadership of the Group’s Mental Health First Aiders initiative – the only arenas in the UK to provide the service.
Speaking of the award win, NEC Group Arenas Managing Director, Guy Dunstan said: “We’re incredibly proud to have won in this category having been nominated alongside such prestigious world-class events.
“As a live events business, we knew we had the power to unite millions of people and make a difference. It was important for us to host such an impactful show and donate one of our leading entertainment venues, our services, and all the profits generated on the evening of the show to the DEC Appeal.
“We’re really proud to have played our part in raising a brilliant amount of money for such a worthy cause.”
It was only 19 days before the broadcast date that Resorts World Arena in Birmingham was contracted following a call between Livewire Pictures and the NEC Group Arenas team (an impressive feat given it usually takes 12 to 18 months to prepare for a show). More than 8,000 people attended the concert with a peak of 3.6 million people at home tuning into the live broadcast. It was the most watched programme of the day for 16-34 year olds.