Groningen, NL. (Top40 Charts/ European Border Breakers Awards) - The 2009 European Border Breakers Awards (EBBA's) will be presented in a TV-show hosted by British TV personality Jools Holland. The event takes place in Groningen on 15 January 2009 on the opening night of the EuroSonic Noorderslag festival. There will be live performances by five of the ten winning acts: AaRON (France), Cinema
Bizarre (Germany),
Kraak & Smaak (Netherlands),
Ida Corr (Denmark) and
Lykke Li (Sweden). Also performing will be Gabriel Rios, who won an EBBA in 2007. In giving these awards the European Commission, in cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), wishes to reward debut artists' and groups' success in crossing national borders and reaching wider audiences. At the same time the prizes highlight and promote the richness and diversity of European music, its creativity and its contribution to innovation.
"The winning artists and the dynamic teams behind them demonstrate the magnificent blend of creativity and talent in Europe", says Jan Figel', the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. "The potential of Europe's creative industries is huge but needs to be boosted, and one of the ways of doing this is by linking creativity and innovation to business acumen and entrepreneurship. These industries are important generators of new jobs and turnover."
Five EBBA-winners will perform live during the show: AaRON (FR), Cinema Bizarre (DE), Kraak & Smaak (NL), Ida Corr (DK) and Lykke Li (SE). Video messages of the five other winning acts will also be presented during the show. A special guest performance will be given by 2007 EBBA-winner, Gabriel Rios (BE). The show will be presented by the well-known TV personality Jools Holland, who will also perform with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
This year's winners (artists' name / album title) of a European Border Breakers Award are:
- Adele (UK) - "19"
- Alphabeat (Denmark) - "Alphabeat"
- AaRON (France) - "Artificial Animals Riding on Neverland"
- Cinema Bizarre (Germany) - "Final Attraction"
- The Do (France) - "A Mouthful"
- Kraak & Smaak (Netherlands) - "Boogie Angst"
- Ida Corr (Denmark) - "One"
- Lykke Li (Sweden) - "Youth Novels"
- The Script (Ireland) - "The Script"
- The Ting Tings (UK) - "We Started Nothing"
The awards ceremony takes place on January 15th at 20:30, at the De Oosterpoort Theatre, Groningen, and will be recorded by Dutch national television (NOS) for broadcast on Saturday 17 January from 20:15. The show will receive European coverage through the EBU broadcasting network of European television and radio stations.
The European Border Breakers Awards highlight the existing need to open up the European markets to European creativity and to stimulate the mobility of artists and their work within Europe and beyond. These awards honour those debut artists, groups, the companies, composers and text writers who succeed in reaching audiences outside their own country.
