Avril Didn't Snub Hometown Award

Avril Lavigne's management have responded to the report over the weekend that Avril snubbed an award ceremony in her home town of Napanee, Ontario, Canada.

Avril's new management, Azoff Music Management, wrote:

"Avril was not committed to attend the Napanee Ontario Multicultural Festival. Her management had no knowledge of this event. She appreciates the honor, however to say that she "flaked and didn't show up" is completely untrue, as she had no knowledge of this event whatsoever. Avril is currently in the US working on her 4th album."

Earlier this week, local Napanee radio stations and event promoters had claimed that Avril, or her father, would be in attendance to accept an award for cultural contributions.

When no one showed up to accept the award, the a festival spokesperson complained that the (unknown) person with whom he was dealing with to co-ordinate the Lavigne appearance did not keep the promise (of ensuring a Lavigne family member would be in attendance).

Fans in Napanee were left disappointed when the star failed to turn up. However, soon after the story broke, many fans on the popular fan site AvrilBandaids.com spoke in her defense, suggesting that Avril probably was not informed of the ceremony as she previously had a good record of supporting her home town events.

It is unclear at this time as to why festival organizers had expected Lavigne to attend and who had told them that Lavigne or a family member would be in attendance.

Napanee, a town of approximately 5,000 residents located near Toronto Canada, is where Lavigne spent much of her childhood. She brought international attention to the town by referring to Napanee in song lyrics and mentioning her favorite town pizzeria in interviews.