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The jury panel of the Iberian Festival Awards comprises individuals (representing Portugal, Spain, and international perspectives) who have demonstrated unwavering commitment and expertise in the dynamic festival industry over the years. Among them are musicians, promoters, technicians, and service providers – each possessing a wealth of knowledge and skills. Their collective expertise equips them to meticulously assess and recognize the festivals that have made noteworthy contributions in the preceding year (2024).
CATEGORIES DECIDED
BY THE JURY
Best Touristic Promotion
Best Cultural Programme
Best Communication & Marketing Strategy
Best Hosting and Reception
Contribution to Sustainability
Contribution to Equality
Best Service Provider
Best Brand Activation
Best Venue
The Event Safety Award
André Oliveira (PT)
VRSanto António Municipality //
Culture Advisor
He began his career in production and programming through his connection to music and garage bands. A musician at heart, with a fertile imagination and a restless spirit, he quickly found a way to shuffle the circumstances of living in a peripheral territory. He holds a degree in Languages, Literatures, and Cultures from the University of Algarve and two Post-Graduations in Cultural Studies from the University of Algarve and Portuguese and Spanish Teaching from the University of Aveiro. Throughout his journey as a producer and programmer, he has always worked from his hometown, Vila Real de Santo António, with the determination of someone who wants to see their place change. During his time at the Vila Real de Santo António Parish Council, he developed for three years cultural programming and production projects such as "Encontros ao Largo" and "Encontros na Alfândega", with the aim of promoting new Algarve music. During his time at the Municipality of Castro Marim, he had the opportunity to work with larger productions, such as the "Medieval Days". Since 2021, he has been working at the Municipality of Vila Real de Santo António as an Advisor to the Executive for cultural issues, where he continues, determined, to transform his territory through cultural programming projects such as "Sons de Dentro" or "Sons no Jardim", in addition to coordinating various cultural production initiatives associated with the Municipality.
Culture Advisor
He began his career in production and programming through his connection to music and garage bands. A musician at heart, with a fertile imagination and a restless spirit, he quickly found a way to shuffle the circumstances of living in a peripheral territory. He holds a degree in Languages, Literatures, and Cultures from the University of Algarve and two Post-Graduations in Cultural Studies from the University of Algarve and Portuguese and Spanish Teaching from the University of Aveiro. Throughout his journey as a producer and programmer, he has always worked from his hometown, Vila Real de Santo António, with the determination of someone who wants to see their place change. During his time at the Vila Real de Santo António Parish Council, he developed for three years cultural programming and production projects such as "Encontros ao Largo" and "Encontros na Alfândega", with the aim of promoting new Algarve music. During his time at the Municipality of Castro Marim, he had the opportunity to work with larger productions, such as the "Medieval Days". Since 2021, he has been working at the Municipality of Vila Real de Santo António as an Advisor to the Executive for cultural issues, where he continues, determined, to transform his territory through cultural programming projects such as "Sons de Dentro" or "Sons no Jardim", in addition to coordinating various cultural production initiatives associated with the Municipality.
Guillermo Granell (ES)
CM.Com //
Music & Live Partnerships
Guillermo has been in the music and events industry for the last 20 years. Started as a music journalist and photographer for La Vanguardia covering festivals like Coachella, Glastonbury or Burning Man and then he went onto working for Sónar and Soho House curating line-ups and managing their programming in Barcelona. After that, he helped ticketing brands like Dice, TicketSwap or Xceed grow their business in Spain and he's now currently looking after the music & live portfolio of CM.com in Spain.
Music & Live Partnerships
Guillermo has been in the music and events industry for the last 20 years. Started as a music journalist and photographer for La Vanguardia covering festivals like Coachella, Glastonbury or Burning Man and then he went onto working for Sónar and Soho House curating line-ups and managing their programming in Barcelona. After that, he helped ticketing brands like Dice, TicketSwap or Xceed grow their business in Spain and he's now currently looking after the music & live portfolio of CM.com in Spain.
Jorge Dias (PT)
gig.Rocks! //
Director
He was a programmer and producer at Rodellus and today is one of the halves of gig.ROCKS!, an artistic agency based in Braga specializing in booking, management, and production representing more than 12 national and international projects, including Unsafe Space Garden, Gator, The Alligator, CAIO, TRAVO, or MadMadMad. He is also an executive producer at Festival Ponte D'Lima, giving shape to the desire of Sons Observados as the organizing entity.
Director
He was a programmer and producer at Rodellus and today is one of the halves of gig.ROCKS!, an artistic agency based in Braga specializing in booking, management, and production representing more than 12 national and international projects, including Unsafe Space Garden, Gator, The Alligator, CAIO, TRAVO, or MadMadMad. He is also an executive producer at Festival Ponte D'Lima, giving shape to the desire of Sons Observados as the organizing entity.
José Fajardo (ES)
M Content //
Screenwriter
José Fajardo has been a music journalist for two decades. He has served as the editor-in-chief of the Music pages at Metrópoli, the cultural magazine of the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, and was the Director of Communications at Gladys Palmera, an awarded radio station and foundation specializing in Ibero-American music. He has also been a correspondent for El Mundo in Colombia between 2015 and 2019. Currently, he works from Madrid as a screenwriter for M Content, an independent audiovisual production company with a Latin and musical soul, whose Argentine partners were the creators of 'El amor después del amor', the Fito Páez's biopic for Netflix.
Screenwriter
José Fajardo has been a music journalist for two decades. He has served as the editor-in-chief of the Music pages at Metrópoli, the cultural magazine of the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, and was the Director of Communications at Gladys Palmera, an awarded radio station and foundation specializing in Ibero-American music. He has also been a correspondent for El Mundo in Colombia between 2015 and 2019. Currently, he works from Madrid as a screenwriter for M Content, an independent audiovisual production company with a Latin and musical soul, whose Argentine partners were the creators of 'El amor después del amor', the Fito Páez's biopic for Netflix.
Laura Pascual (ES)
Accenture Song //
Strategic Planner
Brand Strategist at Accenture Song, specializing in Strategic Communication, customer research, and cultural trends. With over six years of experience, she has collaborated with diverse industries, including finance, consumer goods, tourism, public initiatives, and entertainment—particularly live music. Passionate about challenging conventions and embracing curiosity, Laura tailors brand communication strategies to connect brands with their audiences in meaningful and impactful ways.
Strategic Planner
Brand Strategist at Accenture Song, specializing in Strategic Communication, customer research, and cultural trends. With over six years of experience, she has collaborated with diverse industries, including finance, consumer goods, tourism, public initiatives, and entertainment—particularly live music. Passionate about challenging conventions and embracing curiosity, Laura tailors brand communication strategies to connect brands with their audiences in meaningful and impactful ways.
Marta Guerreiro (PT)
Andanças //
Director
Born in Setúbal to parents from the municipalities of Almodôvar and Castro Verde, she grew up in a village near Palmela. At 19, she moved to Alentejo, a territory she never imagined could one day be her home, and now she doesn't know how to live outside this immense plain. She graduated in Sociocultural Animation, specializing in Intangible Heritage, where she developed skills in research and safeguarding cultural traditions, and in this journey, she discovers traditional dances and PédeXumbo, thus continuing her training in dance. When she started dancing again, she couldn't stop doing it, and today she believes that this is, for her, one of the most sincere and complete forms of communication. Traditional dance connects her to the work developed by PédeXumbo, where she developed her final course project with the theme "Sung Dances," and from that moment on, her involvement in the association's projects intensified. She currently coordinates PédeXumbo, where she develops projects related to traditional dance and music.
Director
Born in Setúbal to parents from the municipalities of Almodôvar and Castro Verde, she grew up in a village near Palmela. At 19, she moved to Alentejo, a territory she never imagined could one day be her home, and now she doesn't know how to live outside this immense plain. She graduated in Sociocultural Animation, specializing in Intangible Heritage, where she developed skills in research and safeguarding cultural traditions, and in this journey, she discovers traditional dances and PédeXumbo, thus continuing her training in dance. When she started dancing again, she couldn't stop doing it, and today she believes that this is, for her, one of the most sincere and complete forms of communication. Traditional dance connects her to the work developed by PédeXumbo, where she developed her final course project with the theme "Sung Dances," and from that moment on, her involvement in the association's projects intensified. She currently coordinates PédeXumbo, where she develops projects related to traditional dance and music.
Nuria Balboa (ES)
Technical Events
Management
Degree in Architecture from the University of A Coruña. Senior technician in health and safety at work. Dedicated for the last 10 years to the world of music festivals, audiovisual fiction, and events in different fields, both cultural and sporting, developing technical projects, emergency plans, and health and safety coordination.
Management
Degree in Architecture from the University of A Coruña. Senior technician in health and safety at work. Dedicated for the last 10 years to the world of music festivals, audiovisual fiction, and events in different fields, both cultural and sporting, developing technical projects, emergency plans, and health and safety coordination.
Sónia Queiroz Vaz (PT)
Cuatrecasas //
Partner and Lawyer
Lawyer for 25 years with extensive experience in legal advice on mapping, evaluation, and optimization projects for intangible intellectual property (IP) assets, including IP operations and pre-litigation and litigation processes. She is one of the authors of the Practical Legal Guide for Music Festivals in Portugal, developed in collaboration with APORFEST and which aims to support and promote the music industry in our country. She has provided legal advice to various festival organizers, artists, and other stakeholders, to help them deepen the knowledge necessary to understand and deal with the legal complexities involved in holding musical and cultural events in general.
Partner and Lawyer
Lawyer for 25 years with extensive experience in legal advice on mapping, evaluation, and optimization projects for intangible intellectual property (IP) assets, including IP operations and pre-litigation and litigation processes. She is one of the authors of the Practical Legal Guide for Music Festivals in Portugal, developed in collaboration with APORFEST and which aims to support and promote the music industry in our country. She has provided legal advice to various festival organizers, artists, and other stakeholders, to help them deepen the knowledge necessary to understand and deal with the legal complexities involved in holding musical and cultural events in general.
Tamas Garam (INT)
Sziget //
Head of Marketing
Head of Marketing at Sziget Festival, one of the world's largest music and arts festivals. With a focus on innovative strategies and audience engagement, Tamás has played a key role in amplifying Sziget's global presence and enhancing the festival experience for over half a million attendees annually. Passionate about music, culture, and creative storytelling, Tamás is dedicated to making Sziget a standout event on the global festival stage.
Head of Marketing
Head of Marketing at Sziget Festival, one of the world's largest music and arts festivals. With a focus on innovative strategies and audience engagement, Tamás has played a key role in amplifying Sziget's global presence and enhancing the festival experience for over half a million attendees annually. Passionate about music, culture, and creative storytelling, Tamás is dedicated to making Sziget a standout event on the global festival stage.
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