The Gottelier Award was inaugurated this year to recognise an individual or team who, over the years, has made a significant and sustained contribution to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology - whether in audio, lighting, rigging, staging or any other related field.
Following nominations from across all sectors, four industry pioneers were shortlisted - Tony Andrews (Funktion One), Richard Belliveau (High End Systems), Adam Bennette (ETC) and Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence). The winner was decided through an open online vote on the PLASA website.
Designed to further emphasise the PLASA Innovation Awards' focus on new ideas and technology, this first Award was given, said PLASA CEO Matthews Griffiths, "in recognition of the pioneering work done by Tony Andrews over three decades, which has contributed significantly to advancing people's enjoyment of live music and added to the industry's deeper understanding of loudspeaker design."
Joining Matthew on stage to present the Award was Tony Gottelier's son, Jonathan, who spoke about how pleased his father would have been to see individuals recognised for their contribution to product development and innovation.
On collecting the award, Tony Andrews emphasised the passion people have for the industry and that, for him, it had never been about "counting the beans", but about making life better for people.
A highly regarded designer and manufacturer of high quality point source loudspeaker systems, with numerous patents to his name, Tony Andrews' landmark developments include the hugely successful Flashlight and Floodlight systems, and more recently the distinctive Funktion One Resolution Series.
(Lee Baldock)
