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10 debut artists to receive 2009 European Border Breaker Awards (EBBAs) in Groningen, the Netherlands
Reference:  IP/08/1991    Date:  17/12/2008
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IP/08/1991

Brussels, 17 December 2008

10 debut artists to receive 2009 European Border Breaker Awards (EBBAs) in Groningen, the Netherlands

The winners of the 2009 European Union 'Border Breakers Awards' (EBBAs) have been chosen. Their awards will be presented in a show to be presented by British TV personality Jools Holland in Groningen on 15 January 2009. The show will be attended by Jan Figel', the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth and will be covered on television.

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. At the same time the prizes highlight and promote the richness and diversity of European music, its creativity and its contribution to innovation.

This years' winners of an European Border Breakers Award are:

  • Adele (UK) - “19”
  • Alphabeat (DK) – “Alphabeat”
  • AaRON (FR) – “Artificial Animals Riding on Neverland”
  • Cinema Bizarre (DE) – “Final Attraction”
  • The Dø (FR) – “A Mouthfull”
  • Kraak & Smaak (NL)– “Boogie Angst”
  • Ida Corr (DK) – “One”
  • Lykke Li (SE) – “Youth Novels”
  • The Script (IRL) – “The Script”
  • The Ting Tings (UK) – “We Started Nothing”

The awards ceremony will be recorded by Dutch national television (NOS) and broadcast on Saturday January 17th from 20:15 onwards. The show will receive European coverage through the EBU broadcasting network of European television and radio stations.

Former winners of an European Union Border Breaker Award include now established artists such as Carla Bruni, Tokio Hotel, Damien Rice, The Thrills, Gabriel Rios, The Fratellis, Basshunter, Dolores O’ Riordan and many more.

This is the sixth edition of this successful European Union award, with which the European Commission – in close partnership with the European music industry – highlights the creative richness and diversity of European contemporary music.

These awards are funded through the EU Culture Programme which also funds the European Union Contemporary Architecture Prize, the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage and the forthcoming European Union Prize for Literature.

The European Border Breaker Awards highlight the existing need to open up the European market 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.

The artists receiving this award are selected on the basis of statistics provided by the Billboard Information Group and the European Broadcasting Union according to the following criteria:

  • Original debut album of artists or groups from a country participating in the EU Culture Programme
  • Sales in EU Member states outside the country of production
  • Sales during the last year (between September 2007 and 31 August 2008)
  • Experience in touring outside the country of origin and ability to perform