CEDIA has named co-founder of Meridian Audio Ltd. and inventor of MQA Bob Stuart as the recipient of the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award. The first European winner of this prestigious industry accolade, Bob will be recognised at the annual CEDIA Awards Celebration at CEDIA EXPO on October 17, 2015.

Nominations for the CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award are submitted by industry professionals and evaluated on the basis of achievement and service within the industry. The Award is given to an individual who has exhibited outstanding, creative, innovative, and visionary leadership in the growth and advancement of the residential electronic systems industry.

Bob has made a unique impact on the custom installation market in two ways, his work establishing new technologies and formats which continue to shape the world of entertainment, including the revolutionary new British technology Master Quality Authenticated (MQA), as well as his products and concepts with the Meridian brand, such as Meridian’s DSP320 architectural loudspeakers and the Sooloos multi-room system.

Bob is also actively involved in several organisations that have pushed the performance boundaries of performance of new, pivotal audio formats. Bob is an active member of the DVD Forum, a Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), a member of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and a visiting Fellow at Essex University in the UK.

“We are thrilled that Bob has been recognised with the CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award,” says executive director of CEDIA EMEA Wendy Griffiths. “His unrelenting desire to ensure that the original recording retains its quality when listening at home is behind many of our industry’s innovations, and continues to drive his work today. We are especially proud that Bob is the first recipient of this prestigious, globally recognised Award to hail from the CEDIA EMEA region and warmly congratulate him on his achievement”.

“Bob is one of the great ones, a brilliant innovator, passionate about our industry, and a true gentleman. The industry is a much better place because of him and his contributions to digital audio,” said CEDIA chairman Larry Pexton.

Tickets for The CEDIA Awards Celebration, which will also recognise the award-winning work of CEDIA member home technology professionals, manufacturers, and volunteers, may be purchased through the registration process for CEDIA EXPO at www.cedia.net/expo or onsite. CEDIA EXPO will be hosted at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas October 14-17.