Tony Visconti is joined by Melanie C., Brody Dalle, Darcy Proper, Markus Kavka and Frank Dellé in the search for the ANCHOR 2020 winner.
Even though he wasn’t able to be there in person, joining in virtually instead from his home city of New York, producer legend Tony Visconti has a deep connection with the city, one that still reverberates to this day through David Bowie’s Berlin trilogy of albums Low, Heroes and Lodger. As part of Reeperbahn Festival International’s activities, the jury members who will be joining Tony Visconti for the ANCHOR 2020 music award were announced today in Berlin.
In his function as jury president, he – together with five colleagues – has been awarding the Reeperbahn Festival’s international music award to the most promising new act for the last four years, thereby helping to catapult young bands and artists to an international career.
Once again this year, the distinguished jury boasts extensive international expertise:
Melanie C. put girl power on the global agenda with the Spice Girls and has achieved incredible success as a solo artist (her third album Melanie C will be released on 2 October 2020). She has also been a long-term campaigner for LGBT rights. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Brody Dalle is a punk-rock icon and has formed two pioneering rock bands of international significance, The Distillers and Spinnerette. With her unerring instinct for the right sound, mastering engineer Darcy Proper has won several Grammys and produced historical reissues of legendary artists such as Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra, as well as releases by The Eagles, Jeff Mills and The Common Linnets. Presenter, author, music journalist and DJ Markus Kavka rightfully enjoys legendary status thanks to expertly fronted programmes on MTV and VIVA, and has been a regular presence in German music television again since joining Deluxe Music in 2015. Frank Dellé grew up in Germany and Ghana immersed in music, from pop and rock to reggae. He has many years of experience performing internationally, both as a member of the German reggae and dancehall band SEEED and as a solo artist.
Dr. Carsten Brosda, Minister of Culture and Media for the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on the announcement of the ANCHOR jury: “This year’s Reeperbahn Festival sends a clear and important signal to the whole music scene that club culture is still possible even with the coronavirus, and shows what form that can take. The high-calibre ANCHOR jury underscores the international importance of the Reeperbahn Festival. The bands nominated for the ANCHOR Award show that, once again this year, the Reeperbahn Festival is a platform for some of the best and most exciting bands and artists. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed with courage, creativity and support in various forms to ensure that the Reeperbahn Festival can go ahead in Hamburg this year.”
The ANCHOR 2020 nominees
At Reeperbahn Festival, the distinguished jury members will mix among the audience during the performances by the nominated acts and take in the impact and atmosphere of the shows, before then selecting the ANCHOR winner and supporting them on their way to a successful international career. The following six bands and artists have been nominated for the competition this year:
Arya Zappa (DEU) immerses the audience in her audio-visual concept of synth-pop-noir, dark vocals and expressive choreographies. ÄTNA (DEU) use drums and percussion to produce futuristic indietronica with big vocal melodies that exude a wistful euphoria in every song. Her atmospherically intense songs have long made singer-songwriter Eefje De Visser (NDL) a star in the Benelux countries. The six-strong ensemble l’Eclair (CHE) doesn’t need vocals to win over audiences: their compelling blend of funk, disco, dub and sprinklings of krautrock do the job. Eloquently and pointedly thematising social issues, Suzane’s (FRA) danceable chansons have long brought her recognition and acclaim in her native France. Tuvaband (NOR) creates passionate, magical and sombre sound landscapes between folk and post-rock, casting a spell on the listener from the very first moment.
We can’t wait to find out who the jury will name as the winner at the ANCHOR 2020 award show in the St. Pauli Theater on Saturday, 19 September. One thing is already certain: all the concerts featuring the nominated artists will be among the highlights of Reeperbahn Festival 2020.
Previous ANCHOR winners: 2016: Albin Lee Meldau (SWE) 2017: Jade Bird (GBR) 2018: Faces On TV (BEL) / Tamino (BEL) 2019: alyona alyona (UKR)
Please note: The final deadline for accreditation for all media is 6 September 2020! Please register in good time. Due to the significantly reduced capacity, it will not be possible to register late this year!
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