Best of the Fests

Our past honorees, all on one page

2026 Honorees

  • FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

    Vans Warped Tour

    Accepted by Kevin Lyman, Founder

    Presented by Steve Van Doren

    Photo by Veronica Slavin

  • EMERGING ARTIST

    Hunter Hawkins

    Presented by Kevin Jonas Sr.

    Photo by Veronica Slavin

  • LEGACY OF EXCELLLENCE

    Fred Brander

    Presented by Matt Kettmann, Santa Barbara Independent

    Photo by Veronica Slavin

  • LIVING LEGEND

    Skunk Baxter

    Presented by Laurie Kirby

    Photo by Veronica Slavin

2025 Honorees

  • FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

    New Orleans Heritage & Jazz Festival

    Accepted by EJ Encalarde, President/COO of Festival Productions, Inc.

    Photo by Veronica Slavin

  • FESTIVAL PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

    John Giddings

    Presented by Arthur Fogel

    Photo by Claire Hart

  • CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC

    Sophie B. Hawkins, award-winning musician, songwriter & artist

    Photo by Veronica Slavin

  • LIVING LEGEND

    Matthew Modine, award-winning director, producer & filmmaker

    Photo by Claire Hart

2024 Honorees

  • FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

    San Diego Bay Food & Wine Festival

    Accepted by Michelle Metter, CEO of Fast Forward Event Productions 

    Photo by Chris Jensen

  • LIVING LEGEND

    Marty Callner, Director, Writer & Producer

    Photo by Chris Jensen

2023 Honorees

  • Spirit of Woodstock

    Jesse Colin Young, American singer & songwriter

  • Best of the Fests - Festival Category

    Global Citizen, an annual music festival started in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project

  • FestForums Champion of Mental Health

    Jamie Raskin, U.S. representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district since 2017

2019 Honorees & Mentions

Living Legends

  • Ray Parker Junior

    American Musician and Singer

  • Penelope Spheeris

    American Filmmaker and Director

  • Jon Anderson

    English-American Singer-Songwriter and Musician

Best of the Fests - Festival Category

Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival

Springtime Tallahasse

Harmlem Eat Up

Frankenmuth Dog Bowl

Poppy Jasper International Film Festival

Whistleblower Summit &Film Festival

Essence Festival

The Garagiste Wine Festival

Raw Science Film Festival

Man in a suit holding a trophy, smiling, at an outdoor event with two other people, palm trees, and a building in the background.
A woman in a red coat speaking at a podium, holding a silver award, with two women and a man in the background at an outdoor event.
A woman with long blonde hair speaking into a microphone at an outdoor event, with two women in the background smiling and looking on, surrounded by palm trees.
A woman smiling and holding an award on a stage with a microphone, outside surrounded by trees.

2018 Honorees & Mentions

Living Legends

  • Harry Shearer

    Presented by Chris Pelonis & Kenny Loggins

  • Maureen Ford

    Woman of the Year

  • Dennis Quaid

Best of the Fests - Festival Category

Shambhala Music Festival - Innovation (Music)

Indiewise Film Festival - Innovation (Film)

2017 Honorees & Mentions

  • Best of the Fests - Films

    Best of The Fest 2017 Sustainability - Film - Cinema Verde

    Best of the Fest 2017 Innovation-Film – Lady Filmmakers

    Best of the Fest 2017 Charity - Film - Animal Film Festival

  • Best of the Fest - Music

    Best of the Fest 2017 Sustainability – Music California Roots Music & Arts Festival

    Best of the Fest 2017 Charity – Music Good Vibrations

    Best of the Fest 2017 Innovation – Music Canadian Music Wee

  • Best of the Fest Food & Beverage

    Best of the Fest 2017 Sustainability – Food & Beverage The Forecastle Festival

    Best of the Fest 2017 Charity –Food & Beverage Festival Napa Valley

    Best of the Fest 2017 Innovative – Food & Beverage Broke LA

  • Best Partner to a Festival

    Sugarlands

    Sierra Nevada

Champion & Lifetime Achievement Awards

  • Chuck Leavell - Champion of the Environment

    Presented by Gerry Cope

  • Frances Fisher - Champion of the Arts

    Presented by Lee Taylor Young

  • T Bone Burnett - Lifetime Achievement

    Presented by Jeff Bridges & the Coen Brothers

  • Kenny Loggins - Living Legend

2016 Honorees & Mentions

  • Best of the Fests - Film

    Charity: Outfest

    Sustainablity: Cinema Verde

    Breakthrough: Hip Hop Film Fest

  • Best of the Fest - Music

    Charity: MerleFest

    Sustainability: Green Music Fest

    Breakthrough: California WorldFest

  • Best of the Fest Food & Beverage

    Charity: Made in the Shade

    Sustainability: Santa Barbara Earth Day

    Breakthrough: Great American Beer Fest

  • Covergence Award

    Rock the Green

  • Best Sponsor Partner to a Festival

    HBO

Champion & Lifetime Achievement Awards

  • Rita Coolidge (left) - Music

    Presented by Mary Wilson (right)

  • Jack & Kim Johnson - Sustainability

  • Bruce Dern - Film

    Presented by Quentin Tarantino

  • Gilles Epié (right) - Food & Beverage

    Presented by Joan Severance (left)

  • Michael Lang - Music

2015 Honorees & Mentions

Sustainability

Music: Vans Warped Tour

Food & Beverage: Tales of the Cocktail

Kevin & Fran Lyman - Vans Warped Tour

Innovation

Film: San Francisco International Film Festival

Music: Wayhome Festival, Canada

Food & Beverage: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival

Noah Cowan - San Francisco International Film Festival

Charitable

Film: Washington West Film Festival

Music: California Roots Festival

Food & Beverage: Hawaii Food & Wine

Roy & Denise Yamaguchi - Hawaii Food & Wine

Best Sponsor Partner to a Festival

Delta Airlines logo with red triangle and the word 'DELTA' in blue capital letters.

Michelle Lee - Delta Airlines

SPECIAL AWARDS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Two men holding a colorful glass plate at an event with a backdrop that reads 'FEST' and 'Delta'.

Shep Gordon

Presented by Alice Cooper (left) to Shep Gordon (right)

CHAMPION OF MUSIC

Dave Mason

Man wearing glasses holding a large, abstract metallic sculpture resembling a sailboat at an award event.

Presented by Malcolm McDowell

CONVERGENCE

Man in black blazer holding a metallic award shaped like a spiral at an event with a backdrop featuring the words "FEST forward" and the Delta Airlines logo.

Scott Mirkin

American event producer