Beat The Streets and Bearded Theory festivals and DHP Family all up for major awards
Nottingham’s independent live music company DHP Family and its festivals Beat The Streets and Bearded Theory are all up for major industry national awards.
The company has made shortlists for UK Festival Awards and the Access All Areas awards, with the opportunity for festival-goers to vote for them in the Festival Awards and help support independent music, creative festival-making and the fight against homelessness.
Fans can vote for Beat The Streets in Charity Initiative of the Year, Bearded Theory in Marketing Campaign of the Year, and DHP Family in Promoter of the Year before ballots close on November 3.
Beat The Streets - the festival raising funds for Framework to help end homelessness – is up for Charitable Initiative of The Year for its partnership with Framework and bringing Nottingham’s music community together across the city’s venues.
The festival turns a day of live music and discovery into vital support for people experiencing homelessness
In 2026, the multi-venue festival raised more than £50,000 for Framework to help rough sleepers, which has been used for the completion of brand new high quality homes for rough sleepers with round the clock support.
It brings the fundraising total to £604,155 since the festival was launched by DHP Family in 2018, supporting the funding of accommodation for people sleeping rough, winter shelter provisions, mental health workers and street outreach as well as raising awareness for the issues faced by unhoused people.
Beat The Streets 2027 will take place on January 31 with tickets on sale, and line up announcements coming soon.
Bearded Theory is shortlisted for Marketing Campaign of the Year at the UK Festival Awards as well as Access All Areas Best Independent Festival. The nominations recognise a campaign that brought the festival’s independent, alternative spirit to life.
The festival is known for its eclectic alternative to the mainstream, with carefully curated line-ups that bring together alternative legends, punk firebrands, indie favourites, folk storytellers and electronic pioneers.
In 2026, Pixies, Garbage and Skunk Anansie headlined a bill featuring CMAT, Kae Tempest, The Horrors, Sprints, The Twilight Sad, Ozric Tentacles, A Guy Called Gerald, Ferocious Dog, Lambrini Girls, Fat Dog, BCUC, Opus Kink and more, with discovery at its heart.
Next year’s festival takes place from May 26 to 30.
It’s double the chance to win a title for DHP Family - up for AAA’s Best Operations Team and UK Festival Awards Promoter of the Year, with the AAA winners chosen by industry professionals.
For more than 45 years, DHP Family has remained fiercely independent, creating distinctive live music experiences driven by artists, audiences and a passion for music.
As an independent venue operator, festival organiser and national promoter, DHP combines the agility and passion of a small, experienced team with the scale and capability of a national operation.
Its festival portfolio spans Bearded Theory and Beat The Streets alongside the new music discovery across Dot To Dot in Nottingham and Bristol, and Footsteps’ celebration of London’s independent venues, while Splendour brought its 18-year run to a close with a final celebration in Nottingham.
Each has its own identity and purpose, united by a commitment to grassroots music and distinctive audience experiences.
Its venues include Rock City, Rescue Rooms, The Bodega, Stealth and The Palais in Nottingham, The Garage, Grace and Oslo in London, and Thekla in Bristol.
Anwyn Williams, head of marketing at DHP Family, said: “We’re really proud to see our festivals and DHP recognised in these awards.
"We’re all massive music fans here, and deeply proud to be independent, so we always want to give people a great experience, support artists as they grow, and highlight the importance of the grassroots.
"Being independent means we can do things our own way, putting on shows and festivals that offer something a bit different and it’s great for that approach to get recognition.”
The Access All Areas award winners will be announced on December 8.
To vote in the awards, visit festivalawards.com/shortlist2026/