10 European emerging artists receive their European Border Breakers Awards during Ceremony in Groningen
The 2018 European Border Breakers Awards Ceremony took place on the evening of 17 January in Groningen, The Netherlands. On this occasion, 10 emerging artists from across Europe received an Award for reaching out to a large European audience outside their own country and performed live in front of hundreds of music professionals and enthusiasts. The 2018 EBBA winners are Alice Merton (Germany), Alma (Finland), Blanche (Belgium), Kristian Kostov (Bulgaria), Off Bloom (Denmark), Salvador Sobral (Portugal), Sigrid (Norway), Skott (Sweden), The Blaze (France) and Youngr (United Kingdom). The show, animated by artist and BBC presenter Jools Holland was live streamed and broadcast in several European countries.
At the end of the Ceremony, Kristian Kostov from Bulgaria was announced as the winner of the Public Choice Award following an online poll. At the age of only 17, this talented singer represented Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 and finished in second place.
In their acceptance speeches, all winners praised the European dimension of the Awards and stressed the importance of promoting the diversity of European culture as a bond that unites citizens.
Europa Nostra warmly congratulates the 10 winners of the 2018 European Border Breakers Awards (EBBA) for their exceptional achievements as well as their contributions to strengthening European identity through music (read Europa Nostra Council Statement on “Strengthening European Identity through our shared Cultural Heritage”).
The EBBA Awards is one of the four prizes awarded by the European Union. The other three are the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, the EU Prize for Literature and the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Award.
The EBBA Awards are organised by Eurosonic Noorderslag and receive the support of the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. The Awards Ceremony takes place every year in Groningen, on the opening eve of the Eurosonic Noorderslag fair & festival, a major European event in the music industry.
Every year since 2008, the EBBA Awards are given to the best European emerging artists, some of which are now well-established artists, such as Jain (2017), Álvaro Soler (2016), Milky Chance (2015), Woodkid (2014), Selah Sue (2012), Stromae (2011), Woodkid (2014), Lykke Li and Adele (2009).
