Knight of Illumination Awards 2015 Recruits Two New Judges for Concert Touring and EventsThe Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) has recruited two new judges for its Concert Touring and Events category, who between them have over 40 years journalistic experience in the live event industry. For the eighth year of the prestigious Awards, editor of live event technology publication Total Production International (TPi) Kelly Murray and Financial Times arts pages production journalist David Cheal will join The Fifth Estate's Sarah Rushton-Read, PRG's Scottie Sanderson, and Philips Vari-Lite's Coral Cooper to appraise submissions to the category. Both Murray and Cheal will draw on their experience of covering shows from two different perspectives. Murray's career began as a reporter in the darkened pits of DIY touring with various international music magazines, radio stations, and online blogs. Her love for live music and creative talent then led her towards the bright lights of live event technology, turning backstage interviews into an altogether different beast. After four years of learning about every aspect of touring productions -- and travelling the globe to see some of the most watched live events, high profile tours, and environmentally challenging show designs the industry has to offer -- she now makes up one half of the new journalistic addition to the KOI judging panel. "Over the busy summer months, my role with TPi will enable me to see an abundance of productions and no doubt, innovative show designs in all manner of venues," says Murray. "Feeling in awe of technology at gigs and festivals is fantastic, so I'm very pleased to have been asked to be a KOI judge alongside some leading industry names in order to award recognition to the designers who are truly enhancing our experience of live music. I'm looking forward to seeing the bespoke and beautiful paths these creative experts and technological artists will take during the 2015 season." Cheal has been writing about music for more than 30 years, beginning as a contributor to the weekly music paper Echoes in the 1980s before moving to The Daily Telegraph in 1990, where he spent 20 years contributing concert reviews, book reviews, features, and interviews. He has also written extensively on music for The Arts Desk website. Now working as a production journalist on the arts pages of the Financial Times, Cheal also contributes music reviews, interviews, and features. His reviews have covered the spectrum of popular music from Take That and Kylie to Metallica and Led Zeppelin, and his interviews have included notable figures such as Mike Oldfield, Tori Amos, John Cale, Neil Tennant, and Rufus Wainwright. "I'm delighted to have been chosen as a judge for these awards. One of my first experiences of live music was, as a child, watching Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with cannons and fireworks, which was a terrific introduction to the idea of a concert as a spectacle. I think the visual aspects of live music are vital to the whole experience, so this judging process will be a great chance to look more carefully at the importance of lighting." The Knight of Illumination Awards celebrates the creative talents of international lighting and digital content designers working in the UK in the sectors of TV, Theatre, and Concert Touring and Events. Submissions are open for the Television and Concert Touring and Events categories and shows performed or broadcast between August 1, 2014, and July 31, 2015, in the UK are eligible. As with previous years the Theatre section can only be nominated by the judging panel. Sharing KOI's determination to forge closer ties between the world of lighting design and the lighting industry as a whole are main sponsors Ambersphere, Clay Paky, Osram, Ayrton, Fix 8, Hawthorn, Light Initiative, Robert Juliat, and MA Lighting. To find out more about the sectors and subcategories or information on how you can submit an entry for television, theatre or concert touring and event lighting and visual content please visit the URL belw. 
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