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Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer made his first appearance on the music scene and chose strong words.
In the fragile landscape of music awards, APPLAUS, which is taking place for the twelfth time in different German cities, occupies a stable, established position. Since 2013, the Music Initiative has distributed around two million euros annually as part of the so-called “venue funding”, making it the most valuable cultural prize in the Federal Republic.
On Monday evening (November 17th), the trophy and check presentation for small and medium-sized live music clubs took place in Munich’s Muffathalle and in the adjacent Ampere.
The lively evening in front of packed rows also featured Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer’s first appearance in a pop and rock context. In contrast to his flowery predecessor Claudia Roth (Greens), Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s BKM colleague kept his premiere rather brief.
The CDU man praises the market economy in rock’n’roll
Under the formula “the Bundestag is behind you!” He not only made the 88 honorees an offer of further political partnership. In the classic CDU style, he praised the market economy in rock’n’roll: “Entrepreneurship in the cultural sphere is something very special. Because often you do what you do not necessarily because you make money, sometimes even through self-exploitation and often with risk. But you do it, and you do something great with it and that should be seen! It should be appreciated.”
And further: “You do it for HOLINESS, for the music, and for the experiences, you open big doors. That’s why what you do is […] a real deep service to us.”
He spoke of “intangible cultural heritage; from hip-hop from Heidelberg to techno culture from Berlin.”
In an official statement launched by the BKM for the APPLAUS evening it reads like this: “We can all be proud that Germany’s club scene enjoys world fame – not just legends like Berlin’s Berghain, but also the many smaller and larger clubs across the country. This is also why we are a cultural nation: because of the impressive wealth of cultural institutions in the area and the wide range of regional excellence. The central task of cultural policy is therefore to create framework conditions so that clubs will continue to open their doors in the future can open: through the constant development of tailor-made club support programs as well as through improvements in building and emissions protection law. We will do everything we can to continue to actively support clubs.”
A “new submission record” with exactly 477 applications
Katja Lucker, managing director of the Music Initiative for a year, could only be happy. Her office manages numerous national aid programs. The German “Music Export Office”, which aims to promote artists’ careers abroad, is also located here.
“We believe in the power of awards. The applause is an honor for a great scene. Nothing more is possible,” said Lucker as she welcomed the guests who had come from all parts of the country. With exactly 477 applications, there was a “new submission record”. The work with young people, especially in grassroots shops, is particularly close to her heart.
After the Bavarian representatives naturally praised the diverse happenings in the Free State, the award ceremonies followed.
This year, the main prizes of 40,000 euros went to more marginal addresses who nevertheless play an important role in their regions.
Music clubs remain important – hopefully!
The jazz lounge Domicil in the football city of Dortmund was awarded for “Best Live Music Program”, as was the objekt klein a in Dresden and the villaWuller in Trier, Mosel, which, according to the jury, have achieved an extraordinary achievement.
The Mahagoni collective from Konstanz, the Kreuzberg traditional shed SO36 and the KFZ in Marburg, which has existed for decades, received special recognition in the categories “Awareness”, “Inclusion” and “Sustainability”.
As Wolfgang Weimer once said: “Music clubs are an important part of our country’s cultural infrastructure and the creative backbone of German popular music culture.”