22-11-2017 @ 11:31
Salvador Sobral and Sigrid are confirmed as winners of a 2018 European Border Breakers Award (EBBA), the European music award for emerging artists who have seen outstanding success across Europe. For health reasons, Salvador Sobral could not be present at Manhãs da 3 when DJ Luis Oliveira announced the news. His manager Ana Paulo, represented him on the radio. Sigrid was surprised by DJ’s Tor-Otto Mjelde and Kjartan Ericsson live on Stjernepose at Nrk P13. Sigrid is also confirmed to play at Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) festival.
Being the winner of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, you would think it could only get better from there for Salvador Sobral. But life has dealt the Portuguese singer some very different cards. A serious heart condition forced him to interrupt his career in September. At an emotional last concert the 27-year old singer stated: "It is, unfortunately, time to hand over my body to science and to abandon my life of concerts and music." Sobral achieved a record win at the Eurovision competition, and the first ever for Portugal, with his ballad Amar Pelos Dois, written by his sister Luísa Sobral. In 2016 the singer had already released debut album Excuse Me, which underlines his great song writing talent.
Norwegian pop singer/songwriter Sigrid signed a worldwide label deal at just 20 years of age. With her rich, powerful, versatile voice, and elfin looks, she seems ready-made for pop stardom. Sigrid delivered on the promise in February 2017 with her anthemic single Don't Kill My Vibe. It became BBC Radio 1 "Hottest Record in the World" and was streamed over 37 million times, with new single Pilot Twist following the same path. Sigrid is influenced by artists like Mø, Adele and Sia.
Earlier, Alice Merton from Germany, Skott from Sweden, Off Bloom from Denmark and Blanche from Belgium were also announced as winners of an EBBA. A total of ten artists will be awarded an EBBA over the coming weeks. The winners will receive their award in a ceremony hosted by TV personality and musician Jools Holland at the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival in Groningen, Netherlands, on 17 January 2018. The ceremony will also feature performances by the winning acts.
All EBBA winners are also in the running to win the Public Choice Award. Fans from all over the world can vote online from the end of November up to Christmas for their favourite emerging artist. The winner of the Public Choice Award will be announced during the EBBA ceremony at the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival in Groningen. Up to ten voters, chosen at random from different countries, will be invited to the award ceremony. Each winner will be able to bring a friend with the flight and hotel costs covered by Eurosonic Noorderslag.
The EBBA celebrate new and border-breaking artists who create today and tomorrow's music. From Adele (United Kingdom) to Christine & the Queens (France), the EBBA winners represent some of the standout European sounds of recent years. Other previous winners include Dua Lipa, Stromae, Gabriel Rios, Hozier, Of Monsters and Men, Mumford & Sons, Aurora, Disclosure, John Newman, C2C, Tokio Hotel, The Script, Years and Years, Robin Schulz, Carnival Youth, MØ and Selah Sue.
From the group of enthusiastic gig-goers out on the weekend to the industry dedicated to making the music you love, Music Moves Europe. The EBBA are one of the EU's ways of celebrating European popular and contemporary music, by bringing the artists, the industry and the fans together to celebrate European music.
15th edition of EBBA
Every year, 10 European artists receive an EBBA to recognise their success in countries other than their own. This success is measured by: airplay, sales, live performances in Europe, position in the European Border Breakers Charts
To be eligible for the 2018 awards, the artists must have achieved border-breaking success with their first international release in Europe between 1 August 2015 and 31 July 2016 and come from a country participating in the EU's Creative Europe programme.
The EBBA, now in their 15th year, is an EU Prize, organised by Eurosonic Noorderslag in partnership with the European Commission (Creative Europe) and the European Broadcasting Union, with support from Buma Cultuur, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Province of Groningen, the City of Groningen and Music Week.