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Tops, flops at 1Live Krone

Andreas Zimmer/gnbDecember 6, 2013

Since its launch in 2000, the 1Live Krone awards has become one of the most influential events of its kind for the German music industry. But the awards show remainds oddly lacking in genuine surprises.

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Seeed at the 1Live Krone awards (c) picture-alliance/dpa
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The threat of strong winds from the Xaver storm front meant the organizers of this year's 1Live Krone moved the traditional red carpet indoors at Bochum's "Jahrhunderthalle" venue, so that the arriving VIPs could still pose for the assembled press photographers. Ivy Quainoo from TV's Voice of Germany, Thomas D of Die Fantastischen Vier, Eurovision Song Contest entrant Roman Lob and even the entire VfL Bochum soccer squad braved the elements to appear at the event.

The 1Live Krone (1Live Crown) has been a fixture on the German music industry calendar since 2000. The event is organized by radio station 1Live, the youth arm of the western German state broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). While the awards ceremony has developed over the years to become an event with nationwide appeal, its core principal remains unchanged; listeners of 1Live cast their votes online to determine the winners in each of the nine categories.

1Live Krone award ceremony (C) picture-alliance/dpa
Sportfreunde Stiller were one of the bands playing liveImage: picture-alliance/dpa

Tweaking the format

Minor changes have been made to the categories featured, with Best DJ and Best Newcomer being dropped and replaced with Best Live Act and Best Plan B Act after the 1Live evening show of the same name. The Prize for Innovation was awarded once before vanishing from the line-up never to be seen again.

Arguably the biggest change to take place this year was the decision by ARD, Germany’s public broadcasting network, to transmit the show live nationwide in its main program. The show was even given an extended running time to make it more of a special event and to fill the primetime slot.

For the first time, a prize in the Best Video category was awarded. Explaining the decision, 1Live said the award honors young artists "who have found an audience through online video platforms, and have thus become an asset to popular culture."

Casper at the 1Live Krone awards (C) picture-alliance/dpa
US-German rapper Caspar bagged two awardsImage: picture-alliance/dpa

Nominees and winners

A record 1.5 million votes were cast this time around for the most popular young German artists and their creative accomplishments over the course of the year. Getting widespread national attention for the first time were Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Deutsch, the two musicians from Kassel behind Milky Chance, whose blend of soul, folk and electro struck a chord with voters. Their track "Stolen Dance" bagged the Best Single award.

Other than that win, however, there was very little else in the way of surprises. Veteran performers took home many of the awards. Die Toten Hosen again scooped the prize for Best Live Act; Seeed bagged the award for Best Band; and German-American rapper Casper walked off with two trophies: Best Artist and Best Album for his LP "Hinterland."

Wolfgang Niedecken, veteran member of German rock band BAP was honored with a Special Award given, according to the 1Live jury, for his engagement on political and social causes.