NOZSTOCK The Hidden Valley music festival is starting the year with two new top awards to its name.

But organisers are getting used to winning ways.

Nozstock was shortlisted in more categories than any other festival in The UK Festival Awards 2016: for Best Dance Event, Best Family Festival, Promoter of the Year and The Extra Festival Activity Award for the Clean Campsite Competition.

Now organisers have even more to celebrate, as planning goes full steam ahead for the 2017 festival, which will take place at Rowden Paddocks, near Bromyard.

A spokesman said: "First up, in the 10th year of 'A Greener Festival’ Nozstock have been awarded with an Improvers Award, which looked at 11 categories of sustainability including travel and transport, waste, local ecosystems and external reach and behaviour. "Independent auditors visited to inspect the actions on the ground, and work with the organisers post-event to gather supporting evidence and data. The Improvers Award signifies the progress of the green “journey” at Nozstock, showing how it exhibits a significant engagement with the process of reducing environmental

impact.

Nozstock has also won an Outstanding Attitude Award, which recognise festivals and venues "at the forefront of innovative access for disabled audiences".

The spokesman added: "Nozstock is one of only three festivals to have won. This was due to its detailed online access.

information including photo guides, distances to key locations and a downloadable social story to assist visits for those living with autism and learning disabilities.

"The team are really proud of the festival’s online information and for being recognised for this. Attitude Is Everything work to improve deaf and disabled people’s access to live music by working in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry, and their help has been invaluable in improving Nozstock’s accessibility."

Ella Nosworthy, one of Nozstock’s founders, added: “We are all hugely proud to have won two awards, and it’s a lovely way to start the year. We do invest a lot of time, energy and planning into our green credentials, and also to make Nozstock as accessible as possible for everyone, so to be recognized for this is really special."

The theme for this summer will be Keepin’ it Surreal, and it will the the 19th Nozstock festival.

Organisers say it will be "joining the dots between pop, ska, folk, funk, soul, hip hop, indie, drum and bass, psytrance, house and a whole lot more".

It will take place from Friday, July 21 to Sunday, July 23.

Further details at, www.nozstock.com / @Nozstock / facebook.com/nozstockthehiddenvalley youtube.com/nozstockfestival / instagram.com/nozstock