Reeperbahn Festival's ANCHOR Award Details 2018 Jury

At last night's Reeperbahn Festival New York Edition at A2IM Indie Week presented by SoundExchange, the 2018 jury for the ANCHOR Award-the award that Reeperbahn Festival launched in 2016 to identify the most promising emerging musical talent-was detailed. It had previously been made public that KCRW's Chris Douridas and Jason Bentley, David Bowie's longtime producer Tony Visconti, and 2017 ANCHOR winner Jade Bird will be on this year's jury (just as 2016 winner Albin Lee Meldau was on 2017's jury); last night, producer/4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry and Morcheeba frontwoman Skye Edwards were announced as jury additions. Consequence of Sound broke the news on-site.

"I am very proud to be a part of Reeperbahn Festival." Linda Perry said enthusiastically. "As a member of the ANCHOR jury, I get the chance to discover new artists, bands, and voices. The showcases this evening proved that Reeperbahn Festival should be on everyone's radar."

ANCHOR was launched in 2016 by the Hamburg-based Reeperbahn Festival, an event that, in Europe, holds a level of prestige similar to what SXSW holds in the US. Last night's third annual Reeperbahn Festial New York Edition showcased dazzling sets from Cologne-via-Connecticut hip-hop pioneer Akua Naru, Portuguese synth/ambient pop artist Surma, upbeat Toronto garage rock band Little Junior, classical-meets-electronic prodigy Jeannel, Brooklyn-via-Munich pop duo HAERTS, and, of course, Jade Bird.

Akua Naru's presence stems from her involvement in the Keychange initiative, which aims to combat the under-representation of women in music by, among other things, actively promoting the international networking of up-and-coming female musicians and facilitating their access to new markets. HAERTS likewise appeared through an initiative: Reeperbahn Festival's Wunderkinder - German Music Talent. This project is Reeperbahn Festival's export program to promote talented German musicians. Every year, ten German acts with international potential are chosen for the program, which expanded this year to include appearances at SXSW and now the New York showcase.

Pictures from both the showcase and the preceding ANCHOR jury reception can be found here. Video is available upon request. Reeperbahn Festival would like to thank everyone for partaking in an incredibly successful evening.

About the ANCHOR - Reeperbahn Festival International Music Award

The ANCHOR - Reeperbahn Festival International Music Award is an accolade for the most promising emerging music talent. Awarded every year in September at Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany, ANCHOR serves as a guide for fans and the music industry in search of the best new music and as a jumpstart for the nominated artists' international careers. Eight international nominees from different genres, selected by a board of music professionals, enter the competition.

Whereas other music awards acknowledge record sales or popularity, the ANCHOR honors unique music quality manifested in the live performances. In times when algorithms predict and dictate the taste in music, the ANCHOR re-introduces the concept of expert recommendation and is both a seal of quality and a way to boost popularity for new bands and artists from around the world. For music fans, it's a guidepost pointing to the absolute must-hears on the current international music scene. This year, the selection process will be two-fold again: a newly established board decides on the nominees from a short list based on all Reeperbahn Festival bookings. This board consists of international music professionals active in music promotion and media. The final eight nominees are eventually selected and announced in August. During the ANCHOR events, an independent jury then judges the nominees' club show performances to pick the winner.

Over the course of three days, the nominees will perform at two venues, playing in front of festivalgoers and the jury, competing for the ANCHOR, which will then be awarded at an entertainment-filled gala on the last day of the festival. With the ANCHOR, Reeperbahn Festival provides its artists with an additional platform to showcase their talents and fundamentally advance their careers.

Reeperbahn Festival takes place in Hamburg, Germany September 19-22, 2018. The ANCHOR will be awarded September 22.

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