 The late-Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole who is nominated for a Hit Song of the Year ECHO award for his version of “Over the Rainbow.” |
The contrast among the nominees for Germany’s 20th annual ECHO awards is rather impressive; this year’s just-announced nominees include the Tyrolian “Volksmusik” group Kastelruther Spatzen, the late Hawaiian ukulele player and singer Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole and British pop juggernaut Adele.
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The ECHO awards honor the best German and international artists of the year in 25 different categories (full list below). The event is sponsored by the German Phonographic Academy, the cultural arm of the German Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI), and will take place on March 24 at the Berlin Fairgrounds.
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This year’s leading ECHO prize contenders include: the German language pop group Unheilig with six nominations; Lena, the 19-year-old winner of 2010’s European Song Contest, who has five nominations; and German female MOR singers Helene Fischer and Andrea Berg who received three nods.
Seven acts each got two nominations: German rock-veteran Peter Maffay, German pop duo Ich+Ich, successful international violinist David Garrett, British group Hurts, U.K. singer Amy MacDonald, South African singer Velile und posthum, and the late-Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole.
“Hit Song of the Year” nominations went to Lena’s “Satellite,” Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Over The Rainbow,” Shakira feat. Freshlyground with “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)”, the German pop group Unheilig with “Geboren um zu Leben” and the Australian dance group Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup with “We No Speak Americano.”
German artists this year rose to over 50 percent of the musicians listed on the German album charts including seven of the top ten. Frank Briegmann, President of Universal Music Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Deutsche Grammophon in Berlin, told Billboard.biz that, “There is and always will be great international artists with wonderful albums. But it is also true that the share of national repertoire has been widening steadily over the last five years.”
Unheilig — Geboren um zu leben – MyVideo
The nominees for the brass and bronze ECHO trophy this year are nearly identical to the top chart acts. Gerd Gebhardt, executive producer for the award show, said that he didn’t want, “an elitist group to decide the awards instead of consumers who love the music so much that they pay money for it in the stores.” Also helping to award the prize is a jury of nearly 400 members of the the German music industry who Gebhardt says, “make the final results even more thrilling.”
Among the acts slated to perform at the ECHO awards show are American chart-toppers Bruno Mars and Adele as well as Take That and German artists Herbert Grönemeyer and Lena.
Take That said about the awards in an exclusive band-statement for Billboard that they are, “truly exited to perform our brand new single “Kids” live at the ECHO awards in Berlin. We just wanted to say happy birthday to ECHO at 20 years, which is actually i the same age as Take That because we are now 20-years-old as well. We formed in 1990 so it’s our birthday round about now.”
Bruno Mars said about the awards in a statement, “I won a trophy for the ‘Soul Train Awards’ in America and it’s on top of my piano, and that where I like to put the ECHO.”
German public TV station ARD will be broadcast the show live from Berlin on March 24 at 8.15 p.m.
FULL LIST OF ECHO NOMINEES:
Category 1: Album of the Year
Andrea Berg – Schwerelos
Helene Fischer – Best Of Lena – My Cassette Player
Amy Macdonald – A Curious Thing
Unheilig – Große Freiheit
Category 2: Male Artist National Rock/Pop
David Garrett – Rock Symphonies
Peter Maffay – Tattoos
Reinhard Mey – Mairegen
Philipp Poisel – Bis nach Toulouse
Schiller – Atemlos
Category 3: Male Artist International Rock/Pop
Phil Collins – Going Back
David Guetta – One Love
Michael Jackson – Michael
Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole – Facing Future
Robbie Williams – In And Out Of Consciousness
Category 4: Female Artist National Rock/Pop
Sarah Connor – Real Love
Lena – My Cassette Player
Ina Müller – Das wär dein Lied gewesen
Nena – Nena – Best of Nena
Velile – Tales From Africa
Category 5: Male Artist International Rock/Pop
Adele – 21
Amy Macdonald – A Curious Thing
Katy Perry – Teenage Dream
Pink – Greatest Hits…So Far!!!
Rihanna – Loud
Category 6: Group National Rock/Pop
Adoro – Glück
Die Atzen – Frauenarzt und Manny Marc präsentieren Atzen Musik Vol. 2
Die Fantastischen Vier – Für dich immer noch Fanta Sie
Ich+Ich – Gute Reise
Silly – Alles Rot
Category 7: Group International Rock/Pop
Black Eyed Peas – The Beginning
Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits
Hurts – Happiness
Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
Take That – Progress
Category 8: Male Artist/Female Artist/Group German Language MOR
Andrea Berg – Schwerelos
Helene Fischer – Best Of
Die Flippers – Es war eine wunderschöne Zeit
Matthias Reim – Sieben Leben
Semino Rossi – Die Liebe bleibt
Category 9: Artist/Group Volkstümliche Musik
Amigos – Weißt du, was du for mich bist
Die Großen 3 der Volksmusik – Ein Wiedersehen zum Abschied
Hansi Hinterseer – Ich hab dich einfach lieb
Kastelruther Spatzen – Immer noch…wie am ersten Tag
Klostertaler – Das große Finale
Category 10: Artist/Group Hip Hop/Urban
Bushido – Zeiten ändern dich
Culcha Candela – Das Beste
Eminem – Recovery
Gentleman – Diversity
Sido – Sido MTV Unplugged live aus’m Mv
Category 11: Group Rock/Alternative National
Beatsteaks – Boombox
Blind Guardian – At The Edge Of Time
Frei.Wild – Gegengift
Scorpions – Sting In The Tail
Unheilig – Große Freiheit
Category 12: Group Rock/Alternative International
30 Seconds to Mars – This Is War
Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns
Mando Diao – MTV Unplugged – Above And Beyond
Volbeat – Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
Category 13: Most Successful Newcomer of the Year National
Paul Kalkbrenner – Berlin Calling
Lena – My Cassette Player
Luxuslärm – So laut ich kann
Freddy Sahin-Scholl – Carpe Diem
Velile – Tales From Africa
Category 14: Most Successful Newcomer of the Year International
Hurts – Happiness
Katherine Jenkins – Believe
Ke$ha – Animal
Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Zaz – Zaz
Category 15: Hit of the Year
Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole – Over The Rainbow
Lena – Satellite
Shakira feat. Freshlyground – Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)
Unheilig – Geboren um zu leben
Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup – We No Speak Americano
Category 16: Most Successful National Act Abroad
Has not been announced yet
Category 17: Most Successful DVD-Production National
Andrea Berg – Schwerelos
Helene Fischer – Best Of
David Garrett – Rock Symphonies – Open Air Live
Peter Maffay – Tattoos
Unheilig – Große Freiheit
Category 18: Most Successful Live-Act National
Has not been announced yet
Category 19: Best video national
Bakkushan – Baby, Du siehst gut aus
Marteria feat. Yaska – Verstrahlt
Monrose – Like A Lady
Rammstein – Ich tu dir weh
Unheilig – Geboren um zu leben
Category 20: Radio-ECHO
Ich+Ich – Universum
Lena – Satellite
Revolverheld – Spinner
Silbermond – Krieger des Lichts
Unheilig – Geboren um zu leben
Category 21: Media Partner of the Year
Has not been announced yet
Category 22: Retailer of the Year
Has not been announced yet
Category 23: Producer/Producer Team of the Year
Olaf Opal for Juli, Madsen, Christina Stürmer, Fotos
“Satellite”-Team (André Brix Buchmann, Ingo Politz, Bernd Wendlandt for Valicon and John Gordon und Stefan Raab) for “Satellite”
Moses Schneider for Tocotronic, Dendemann
Unheilig-Team (Henning Verlage, Der Graf, Kiko Masbaum) for “Große Freiheit”
Valicon for Lena, Silly
Category 24: Lifetime Achievement
Has not been announced yet
Category 25: Critic’s Prize National
Fritz Kalkbrenner – Here Today Gone Tomorrow
Pantha du Prince – Black Noise
Christiane Rösinger – Songs Of L. And Hate
Kristof Schreuf – Bourgeois With Guitar
Tocotronic – Schall und Wahn