Last updated at 12:12, Friday, 05 October 2012

Two West Cumbrian music festivals have been nominated for national awards.

Solfest, held at Tarns, near Aspatria, in August, and CockRock, at Wellington Farm in Cockermouth in July, have been shortlisted in the UK Festival Awards.

CockRock has been shortlisted for best small festival and best grassroots festival at the awards and Solfest will compete in the best medium-sized festival, best family festival, best toilets and the grassroots festival categories.

Solfest will go head-to-head with festivals including Creamfields and V Festival.

This year’s Solfest saw 10,000 spectators watch top acts like KT Tunstall, The South and Big Country.

It pipped Glastonbury Festival at the awards in 2007 to win best family festival.

Simon Kay, one of the organisers, said: “We’re absolutely delighted. This is the festival equivalent of the Oscars so it’s a huge accolade to be nominated in so many categories.”

CockRock will be up against BluesFest London and Manchester, Greenwich Community Festival and Orkney Folk Festival.

It saw 5,000 music lovers see acts including Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Tinchy Stryder and Buzzcocks.

The festival won ID&C best grassroots festival in May.

Clint Stamper, chairman of the organising committee, said: “We try to appeal to all ages and if we win the award it would be fantastic but to be nominated is recognition in itself.”

Organisers of both festivals are now urging the public to get behind them.

To vote, go to www.festival awards.com

First published at 11:51, Friday, 05 October 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk