The fall of the awards continues. 1,000 guests come to the Colosseum Film Theater and experience a moving evening
On Thursday evening (November 23rd) the Pop Culture Prize was awarded for the seventh time in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin. Award-rich weeks are now coming to an end for the time being.
Around 1,000 guests have to rush through the “Blade Runner”-like rain. After being blow-dried to some extent, the pop culture cow was let fly in the historic Colosseum cinema building on Schönhauser Allee.
It’s up to Sebastian Zabel, editor-in-chief of the German edition of ROLLING STONE, to open the barrel of laudatory speeches. There is the first award in the “Lived Pop Culture” category, which requires explanation and is extremely necessary, an award for committed creators. The winner is c/o pop from Cologne, which, after the withering away of Popkomm, has been doing valuable grassroots work in the Roman part of Germany for 20 years, which has long gone far beyond an April or May weekend in the trendy Ehrenfeld district.
MUSIXEXPRESS editor Hella Wittenberg presents the winning act in the “Favorite Bands” category. “There are these bands that outlast everything. “I’m not talking about member changes, new record deals and musical reinventions over time,” says Wittenberg. “I mean the groups that are so close to us; have become firmly embedded in our hearts. “We may have already had them as posters in our “teenage room” but now proudly wear them around on shirts and caps and have the special vinyl editions neatly sorted in our closet.”
And she’s right: “And even if the partners change – this one band remains.” And climbs onto the winner’s podium: The Band Provinz.
One is amazed: the “Pop Culture Prize” also honors artists who are well-known outside the country. It is easy to criticize the “Berlin-ness” of the German awards autumn. The fact that Province from the Upper Swabian town of Vogt, near the puzzle game metropolis of Ravensburg, won the “Favorite Band” category cannot hide the fact that the jury is very much on the move between Kotti and Charlottengrad. A little more research spirit outside of Berlin would be desirable here.
Now the cinema binge is picking up speed. Radio One legend Silke Super, who has been providing clues on the airwaves at RBB for 12 years, is handing out the trophy in the “Favorite Album” search area. Super emphasizes that she believes in the dramaturgy of “Langrille” even in times of playlists. The “*innen” in announcements is now easily heard by most media professionals. And otherwise you’re woke, but also latently funny.
Berlin-based Maryam.fyi, for example, says moving words about the situation in Iran, especially about the role of women there, and receives a long standing ovation. This is how the largely freely financed “Prize for Pop Culture” differs from the new “Polyton”, which wants to do everything differently and rather caused confusion when it debuted at an event location in Tempelhof.
The largely absence of politics in the Colosseum is positively noticeable. No punched-down Sunday speeches from some Bundestag people who then jet off with the driving service to the next Greetings August appointment.
The winner of the evening is clearly the successful Berlin rapper Nina Chuba, who won in two categories. Silke Super opens the cover for Chuba’s album “Glas.” The rapping singer is also a “favorite artist,” and the “*in” by no means excludes male crooners.
The “favorite song” goes to Berlin veteran Peter Fox with his “Zukunft Pink” (feat. Inéz). The “favorite video” called “Smile” goes to Shirin David. The “Most Hopeful Newcomer” goes to the Blumengarten duo, who won three awards within two weeks. It will be interesting to see how this early praise will affect the duo’s future career.
There is even a link to the “Polyton” award, with the “production favorites of the year”. The winners Suena & Lucry worked with “Polyton” performer Herbert Grönemeyer on his new single “Kaltes Berlin”.
The “Most Impressive Live Show” rightly goes to the Chemnitz trio Blond with their release concert for the album “Perlen”. This means that the former GDR would also be represented with an award.
For 2024, we recommend that the makers simply combine all the poly awards in the world again. Maybe in the price of pop culture? This saves time, nerves and ultimately also taxpayers’ money.
WINNER PRIZE FOR POP CULTURE 2023
Favorite artist:
Nina Chuba
Favorite band:
province
Favorite producer:
Suena & Lucry
Favorite album:
Nina Chuba – Glass
Favorite song:
Peter Fox – Future Pink (feat. Inéz)
Favorite video:
Shirin David – Smile
Most hopeful newcomer:
flower garden
Most impressive live show:
Blond – Pearls (album release concert)
Living pop culture:
20 years of c/o pop festival