The Carl Alan Award was first presented in 1953 and honours people who have made a significant contribution to the dance and theatre industry, such as teachers, performers and choreographers (other notable winners have been Roy Castle, Bruce Forsyth, skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, dancers Wayne Sleep and Darcey Bussell, ex-Strictly Come Dancing professionals Darren Bennett, Matthew Cutler, Lilia Kopylova and ex-Strictly Come Dancing judges Len Goodman and Arlene Phillips).


In the July 1977 UK ABBA Fan Club Newsletter it says, "During May I hope many of you saw ABBA receiving their Karl Allen [sic] award for top entertainers.”

No more information available but it leaves us asking questions:

1. If the awards, usually presented in February, were not shown until May 1977, why a three-month wait?
2. Was this the same award they were presented with in 1978 by Princess Margaret and is this what was shown on Come Dancing the following year?
3. The Fan Club Newsletter doesn't say whether it was a TV appearance or in the newspapers.

Until or unless more informaiton comes to light about this, I'll leave it here.

Thanks to Carl Magnus Palm.