After scandal: The "Echo" is abolished!
"The 'ECHO' will not exist anymore, as the board of the Bundesverband Musikindustrie decided yesterday in an extraordinary meeting in Berlin.", the organizers of the music prize dropped the bomb on Wednesday afternoon. As can be seen from the press release on "musikindustrie.de", one would "by no means want this music prize to be perceived as a platform for anti-Semitism, misogyny of women, homophobia or violent incitement to violence".
The communication further states:
The events surrounding this year's echo, for which the Board apologized, can not be reversed, but they will ensure that such a mistake does not happen again in the future. However, the brand Echo was so badly damaged that a complete new beginning was necessary.
Accordingly, this new beginning also includes the Echo Klassik and the Echo Jazz.
New music prize in planning
On the other hand, there must be a German music prize, according to the Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Therefore, there will be a ceremony in the future ? However, this should be completely different. Previous committees cease their activities, nomination and award should change completely. In the "pop section", for example, "the jury should take center stage more prominently", as has always been the case with classical and jazz versions. For the specification of the changes, the board will take the "necessary time".
After rappers Kollegah (33) and Farid Bang (31) were awarded the Hip-Hop / Urban National Music Award at the Echo Awards on April 12, a wave of indignation had broken loose. Background was a text line in the song "0815", which was interpreted by critics as anti-Semitic. Several artists then returned their prizes. In particular, those responsible did not call the two rappers a reason for the change.
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