Are you looking for the new Dua Lipa, Christine and the Queens, Stromae or ROSALÌA? You’re in the right place. Music Moves Europe Awards (MME Awards for short) are an EU-funded prize for emerging artists, annually highlighting the best of upcoming European music.
They represent the most exciting acts on the European newcomer’s music scene, and Dua Lipa or Stromae are two of the award’s graduates. The Music Move Europe Awards, the European Union music prize granted each year during Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival in Groningen (The Netherlands), has announced its 15 nominees. The list is immensely useful to any music trendspotter, those who want to discover first who will be the next big thing in European music. So here is a little heads up on what you’re likely to be listening to in the next few years:
ANA LUA CAIANO (PT) • ARNY MARGRET (IS) • ASH OLSEN (NO) • BERRY GALAZKA (PL) • BULGARIAN CARTRADER (BG) • CLOCKCLOCK (DE) • FRAN VASILIC (HR) • GIIFT (DK) • PEARLY DROPS (FI) • RALPHIE CHOO (ES) • TRAMHAUS (NL) • ZAHO DE SAGAZAN (FR) • FREEKIND. (SI) • WATERBABY (SE) • YUNÈ PINKU (IE)
The stakes are high: while all 15 nominees will perform at the Eurosonic Festival and are invited to join the exclusive MME Education program, five of them will pocket 10,000 euros to develop their project, with an extra 5,000 euro Green Touring Voucher for the Grand Jury winner. The jury is made of music professionals, including Bryan Johnson from Spotify Sweden, Mad Cool Festival’s Cindy Castillo, BBC Radio 1 host Gemma Bradley, Kevin Cole from KEXP and Jerry Heil, the Ukrainian singer-songwriter who won the MME Public Choice Award last year. Because yes, the jury doesn’t have it all: you are also invited to vote for your favourite artist, who will get 5,000 euros and a Deezer Session recording! Will it be Arny Margret’s delicate Icelandic folk, Zaho de Sagazan’s French songwriting, or Ash Olsen’s hip-hop from Norway? Votes are open right here. While you’re making your mind up and listening to the playlist above, we discussed the awards with two nominees, Bulgarian Cartrader and Ana Lua Caiano, who talked about this one-of-kind opportunity. On your marks, get set, vote!
