ANCHOR Award Show | Reeperbahn Festival 2023

Ladies, gentlemen, everybody else. Hello and good evening St. Pauli Theater. Europe's biggest club show has dropped anchor in Hamburg. Welcome to the 2023 Anchor Award. Please make some noise for your glorious, charming host this evening, Alexandra Maurer. Hello Hamburg. Good evening, everyone. Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much. And please give it up. Again for my significant other host Pelle Almqvist. Oh, fantastic. Oh, my gosh. Well, welcome to the fastest award show ever. We've got one single aw

ard to give out tonight, so we should be fairly done in like... I don't have a watch. Me neither, so let's just find out. Okay, if you’re with me. I've been traveling between Zurich and London for many years now, but I've only just come to the conclusion that the best place to be is actually in the middle, like Hamburg. I mean, what is there not to love about St. Pauli? Right? I mean, Pelle, what do you think about this place? Well, everybody knows Hamburg's knows it's rock and roll. If you make

it here, you're doing everything right. This is the first place my band got popular and felt popular. But it has a special place for me. I love Hamburg. Don't you? Hamburg loves you too, definitely. And also from looking at a couple of faces, I don't know who, like a lot of them that came to see you perform yesterday with the Hives. I mean, you guys must be wrecked. I don't know how he is standing here looking this fresh. Doesn’t he look incredible? I mean, he was doing stage dives at 1 a.m. in

the morning and... Well, Rock’n’Roll is the fountain of youth. That and like Illuminati level, really expensive skin cream. Also, you're really well behaved, I must say. Usually he comes on stage, he either hurts himself or tips things over. Hasn't happened yet. No, I'll save it for later. I'm going to try to keep it together in respect for the massive talent we have gathered here tonight that you're going to see. Exactly, we've got six up and coming bands and artists that are awarded or nomina

ted for the Anchor Award 2023. Yeah. And they're so ready and excited to come out and play for you. I can feel in my showbiz bones that it's tingling backstage here. It is everywhere. I can feel the tingle and the Anchor Award never fails to actually push equally the winners and the nominees careers to the next level. Pretty much like film festivals are steppingstones for film directors these days. And on top of that, the winner walks away with a voucher from PRG worth 20,000 Euros. I love the w

ay you're looking at me right now. You're like, what, 20,000 Euros? That's real money. That’s a lot of money because they can use it for whatever on their next tour. They can use it for audio technique, light rigging, you name it. You're the pro, you know that it costs a lot of money, right? A lot of medications. No, I don't think that. You can’t use it for that. So within the last two days, sshhh! The nominees gave their all, gave their best in front of our very distinguished jury. We've alread

y seen them on the screen. And now I think it's time that we see them in person. Welcome them to the stage. Exactly. She is one of America's most sought after songwriters and an outstanding singer herself. She has become a highly influential and respected figure in the music industry. Please, a big round of applause for Tayla Parx. Good evening my love. And she is one of Great Britain's bestselling artists. Her unique combination of folk rock and jazz runs deep and never fails to reach people's

hearts. Ladies and gentlemen, Katie Melua. She has taken alternative pop to experimental heights never before heard of and she is an icon in the contemporary art and fashion scene. Big round of applause and welcome, Banks. And last but certainly not least, he produced David Bowie. His work was groundbreaking artists and bands such as U2 and Paul McCartney. He is the jury’s leader, the distinguished Mr. Tony Visconti. Holding the award. They're going to give this away to some lucky souls. Last ye

ar I was a part of the jury, Tony, as you remember, and that was really hard. So I'm happy to have an easier job now, just standing here talking and looking like I know what I'm doing. How hard was it to come to a decision this year? This year wasn't that hard, but we liked most of the bands. All of them, in fact, you know, but we... Hello? I made a mistake, didn’t I? So... we had a good time. Yeah, Great. Great time to see them all at that lovely nightclub. Yeah. -What was it called? -The Grue

nspan. That's right. Yes. Tony, could you pass the microphone to Katie, please, quickly, because I've got a question. I heard Katie during the nominees concerts one saw you mingling with the crowd, being part of that vibe. How important is it actually before or during a decision like this, major, especially for newcomer bands and artists, to feel the vibe or to feel actually the crowd's vibe while listening to the artists perform? It's essential because, you know, a concert experience is about b

eing in that part of the room, you know, being with the rest of the crowd. Feeling the energy that the artist is giving off stage and also sound can change depending on which part of the room you’re in. So it was fascinating to experience it in all the corners of the space. You might be now wandering around during our performances here. Now you are saying that it sounds a bit different everywhere. So I’m like, I'm excited. I hope you guys are excited. Should we start the show? Thank you, Katie.

And I'm sure you all do remember, “Waldorf and Statler” from The Muppet Show? Do you guys remember The Muppet Show? Fantastic. Yeah, That's what we're basically doing tonight. Sitting on a balcony, talking trash? Sitting on a balcony, having a sophisticated conversation about music and the meaning of life, Pelle. That's what we are doing. But up there, that balcony, that's where we shall meet again, dear judges. Okay, so for now, if that's okay, can you have a seat? And we will chat soon. A big

round of applause for our jury. Ladies and gentlemen. And as the jury has taken their seats in the jury box, we'd like to present our first nominee. He only needed two songs to capture the hearts and minds of the young generation. Prepare to be touched by an honest and daring performance. But one of your very own local boy from Hamburg give it up for Berq. Unique, fresh, bold, audacious. These are the attributes with which the german music legend Herbert Grönemeyer describes the 19-year-old. “A

voice that captivates everyone” writes the music press. In march 2023 berq released his debut EP “Rote flaggen”. Honest, poetic, originally not intended for the public. and that’s precisely why it’s so unusual. So extraordinary. Berq has only been performing live in front of his fans for a few months. the hype around his music and his persona has gained momentum. nominated for the Anchor Award 2023 from Germany: Berq. Berq Wow. That song really does leave an echo in our minds. Beautiful perform

ance and I'm looking up to our balcony and I can see Pelle. You are ready. You're joined by Tayla Parx. Are you guys ready to jam? Yeah. We gonna leave the performance to the nominees I think. That seems to make sense tonight. But I did bring this ukulele. We'd like every member of the jury to sign it for a good cause. They will auction off at the end of this thing. There you go. Feel free to personalize it. And then when you deem fit. Wonderful. Thank you. I'll hold it. I promise I won’t play a

nything. All right. This is your third time on the jury. It is. It is. And we're so happy to have you. It might seem presumptuous, but what makes the Reeperbahn Festival so outstanding? I think one thing that makes this particular festival outstanding is the fact that we are judging a lot of different genres, judging a lot of different, you know, people from all around the world. Yeah. And art is so personal, you know, and this isn't about who is better as an artist or whatever is, is really jus

t about like, okay, everybody has the right time. And we were able to see so many incredible acts from so many incredible places. And whether I could understand what the language was or not, I felt something with every single person. And that's wonderful. The Reeperbahn Festival is a significant event promoting diversity on every level. With this in mind, how far has the music industry come and how far does it need to go? Well, I think that festivals like this are extremely important to the evol

ution of the music industry, because it is about diversity, it is about redefining what is pop culture, it's about redefining what a genre could be and redefining what a music industry could be. And when you have any type of platform that allows the freedom to do those things, you inevitably transform and evolve an industry. And we need more, you know, platforms like this to push artistry. Yeah. That's great. You're also something called... yeah, feel free to clap. You're also the Keychange amba

ssador, could you tell us a bit about this campaign and what's happening there? Absolutely. Being a Keychange ambassador is extremely fun because it's one of those things that, you know, I'm a creative who also really enjoys the business side of the music business. And I truly believe that whether you're a lawyer or a manager or a business manager, whatever, all of these jobs require a certain amount of creativity. Yeah. When you're doing that, and I always respect them so much. And you know, wi

th that particular, you know, the Keychange is about how do you balance being a musician in the music business? And for people who are interested in that, it really is really nice to be able to have that conversation about how do I balance it and seeing, you know, other people who are going to take that information, take what they will and, you know, turn it into whatever fits for them. Yeah. You've worked with many big artists like Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys, and I could k

eep name dropping, but what collaboration left the biggest mark on you? I think. I don't know. It would have to be out of the internet. I mean, the Ego Death album or JD and DOMi Beck. Because a lot of times, you know, you hear these big names like Ariana or Christina or Mariah, and, you know, sometimes the jazz artists, you know, they forget no I'm an actual musician, you know, or sometimes you see somebody who's a classical artist and you're able to stretch yourself. So I think any project tha

t gives me the opportunity to be a student is something that has affected me the most and to really learn from my collaborators, that's what music is about. So anything that gives me an opportunity to step outside of myself is the most inspiring for me. That's awesome. So for our last question, we were trying to be lazy and asking ChatGPT what interesting questions would be for our distinguished judges and the technology is not there. All the suggestions were terrible. So our producer came up wi

th some of their own and you're going to have to pick one now and I'm going to read it to you like I just came up with it off the top of my head. Okay, let's see. Let’s see how this goes. Okay. This will be our last question for Tayla. Okay. Which cartoon character would you choose for a duet? And this is extremely easy because they're an icon. And it’s SpongeBob. Honestly. SpongeBob’s catalogue. You know, SpongeBob’s catalogue is going off with this campfire song. The Larry, the Lobster song, S

pongeBob has been killing it, you know, for a decade or more. So that's who I would want to duet with. That’s a good call. Let's get on with the music, shall we? You've seen Paris Paloma at the Gruenspan yesterday. What were your feelings about the concert? I had such an incredible time seeing, you know, all the others because like I said, they're so different. And but being able to listen to the lyrics, I learned a lot and that's something that as a songwriter, I expect to be able to listen to

a song and be able to walk away from that performance knowing more about the artist. That's all that I ask. It's not a matter of it being the perfect note or the perfect song, or I just need to feel you. And that is what music is supposed to do. So I would definitely say that I had so many emotions last night that are inspiring to me that I can now go back to L.A. when I fly tomorrow and tell so many people about these incredible artists that I saw and also see where music is going. It's inspiri

ng. Yeah, that's a better introduction that I could do. So here is listen closely to Paris Paloma and her lyrics. It’s been just over three years since the 23 year old singer-songwriter from Great Britain started making music. Fans of wonderful dark, melancholic music with Indie elements and a soulfoul, strong voice will love Paris Paloma. Her songs are pure poetry. Sometimes soft and heart-wrenching, sometimes lightly aggressive and vengeful. It’s been really, really surreal. A really emotional

experience. It’s kind of out-of-body but incredibly cathartic to see words, that i wrote alone Sung back to me with many people in the room. Her biggest success so far: the song “Labour”. The song has generated an enormous response from around the world. Over 13 million people have watched, shared and commented on the video so far. On social media, especially on TikTok, women are expressing their anger about prevailing unjust circumstances. You’re looking for an anthem for the emancipatory move

ment? Paris Paloma definitely has it. Nominated for the Anchor Award 2023 from the UK: Paris Paloma. Thank you Paris Paloma. It's a shame Alexandra didn't get to catch much of that performance as she's been making her way backstage - the natural habitat of pop stars. That's where you find them. How glamorous is it exactly? Well, Pelle, as you know, it's never the glamour that attracts the audiences interest. It's always the things that happen backstage which the people out there actually shouldn

't see. That's why they're curious. But that's okay. We don't have anything to hide, don't we, guys? Oh, put this one away. Jesus, not that much. Come on, Come on, come on, come on. I am joined here backstage, obviously, with Daisy the Great. We've got Waterbaby, Hannes. And we've got Inéz and Demian from Ätna. Winner of the Anchor Award 2020. Guys, welcome back. How are you? Thank you. I'm fine. How are you? I'm very good, thank you. Guys, when you won the Anchor Award in 2020, how did that imp

act your career? Tell us. Well, I think first of all, I think it made it possible that we played at South by Southwest last year. That's amazing. Yes, That was crazy. And I would say that they've done so much for us. I mean, they took us to the United States. They made it possible that we played at the Elbphilharmonie. That’s incredible. -These are like name dropping massive things. -Yes. And it's just such a great loving family, I'd say. They're really, really good to us. And the other thing is

that we never stop doing more music so. Well, I hope. The further we do music the further we play gigs and get to know other so cool musicians. Well, that's incredible. Thank you for like taking us and sharing your experience. The last three days were like so cool for me and so inspiring to see so many new acts. That's amazing. Incredible. Thank you for sharing a bit of insight in behind the scenes material because we are backstage. That's what they want to hear. But thank you so much. -Thank y

ou. I'll just grab this one. Thank you so much, you too, and all the best for the future. I am moving over here. Just don't want my camera guy to trip. Hi. Oh, hi. Hi, Kelley, Mina, tell me, now listening to Inéz and Demian speak about like, what kind of impact the Anchor Award had on their career. The likes of Bon Iver and Ed Sheeran also played this festival before actually, like making it. That's crazy, actually, to think that, isn't it? I mean, they are massive. -Nobody does not know of them

. -Right. So how important or what does tonight mean to you two? For you two. It means so much. It feels really exciting. I think at this stage. It just feels really exciting for us to be here at all and like playing music alongside such awesome artists. And it's been a really, like creative and exciting time this week and it's really interesting to think of like everyone that's been a part of it both past and present. Well, thanks for sharing that. Thank you so much. And good luck for tonight.

Thank you. Wait. Moving on to you two. Hello, Hannes. Hannes and Waterbaby? -Can I give you the microphone? -Hello. You guys share so much? Not too much. Like they share a lot. You two do a lot of music together, but today you are going up against each other. Is it a race? How does that make you feel? Don't laugh guys. It's true. Tell me. The vibes have been really bad for the last couple of days. Yeah. With that ice cold face you just said that. This is nice. It's just nice and good vibes. Bein

g with a friend, getting to travel. It's cool. We continue to chat here backstage. We'll just leave the hard work for the moment to the others in front. Okay? That's awesome. All right, let's do that. Pelle is the stage ready to jam, to continue? It sure is. Our next nominee is enjoying cult like status in her homeland, Japan. Here is Ichiko Aoba. Minimalistic, magical and dreamy. That’s how you can categorize Ichiko Aoba’s music in three words. She has already released seven studio albums and e

njoyes cult status in her home country, Japan. Ichiko tells wonderful, personal stories with her soft voice and delicate guitar sounds. Music that she often dreams of. Seeing her playing live is always an experience. The addition of a string section brings a new dimension that elevates her perfomance. Nominated for the Anchor Award 2023 from Japan: Ichiko Aoba. Thank you. Ichiko Aoba everybody. I have to ask myself a question. How come I am on an empty theatre stage? And Alexandra is up there w

ith Katie Melua? How could I let this happen? Well, you know what? It might be karma. Or I might have just been faster than you. Anyhow, we are here now. Katie Melua and ukulele. And me. So. And before this sounds like... this might sound actually like a bad joke, but we have serious business before we start talking. It is signing this ukulele. Would you please? Fantastic. Thank you very much. That’s perfect. We just heard Ichiko Aoba on stage before. What I'm wondering is kind of like, is a fe

stival like ours here the right place? Because it was more calm. Quiet, like with the lighting and everything. I was kind of like in Dreamland. It was absolutely gorgeous. Is this the right place for that kind of genre, for that kind of music? I think, you know, the best and purest form of art -and what music is capable of is always genreless. -Ok, yeah. You know, so it doesn't matter whether it's in the classical world, Jazz, Hip Hop, R’n’B, whatever, it really doesn't matter. You know, when yo

u like hear that kind of bull's eye and truth in art, it just moves you, you know, and it touches you and I think that's the greatest thing. I think any artist is trying to achieve that. You know, and we've had the best time listening to these phenomenal artists. And then in between each show, we've had the best debates about what is art, you know, who do we think is going to become huge acts in the future? -Oh, wow. -How are we judging this? It's been so fascinating. I've been incredibly gratef

ul to have been here. That’s incredible. Thank you for that insight. I love that you said you've had the best debates. Yeah. I mean, you know, sometimes I was before I arrived here, I was thinking, are we judging the best act life? You know, so is it the live experience that we're looking at? Are we listening for songs? Are we listening for star quality? So, you know, this is what we've been talking about and discussing. I actually have so many more questions. I thought I was able to chat longer

to you, Katie, but I need to wrap it up slowly. I think you've heard of our... This is all not my fault. I have no idea what kind of questions are in here, so just choose one. Okay. I have no idea what this is going to be like. I honestly, I’m really also not lying. Like, I have no idea what those questions are. Okay. What's the strangest rumor you ever read about yourself on the Internet? I guess the strangest one is that I'm from Wales. Why is that strange? I don't know. Because I'm from Geo

rgia, which is in Eastern Europe, and I don't know. That struck me as really strange. That struck you as really strange. Well, everybody, that's some insight. In every case full of you. Waterbaby is coming out now. The nerves might be around excitement. We just spoke to her before. When she sees a camera - she and Hannes. But now she's on stage by herself . They kind of freeze. We don't want that. So any words of encouragement from your side? I think just to dive inside the music and the words a

nd, you know, find that uniqueness and the spirit. I think I'll take that tip for myself as well. -I love that. Thank you so much. -Thank you. Katie Melua everyone, thank you very, very much. Music was handed down to Kendra, also known as “Waterbaby”, from an early age. Her grandfather was a Jazz pianist and her uncle a concert promoter. In 2023 she received a scholarship during the music publisher awards and is now living her dream. Kendra writes popsongs that give you goosebumps. With her hus

h tones and a gentle strumming of acoustic guitars, her songs all have a very organic quality. It feels like Kendra is a good friend of yours telling you her stories in private during an intimate talk. There is much more to come from this swedish megatalent. Nominated for the Anchor Award 2023 from Sweden: Waterbaby. Thank you, Waterbaby. How are you doing out there? I'm feeling a little bit like Romeo here. I keep staring up towards the balcony. Alexandra, My Juliet. How are things up there? P

retty good, Pelle. Pretty good because, I mean, I am in the best company one could imagine. Tony Visconti is next to me. Good evening. Good evening. Tony, we do live in a time of awareness. Musicians these days is no more wrecking guitars. You guys are expected to increase the value of an ukulele. Oh, okay. You're like, where is he going with that? Would you please sign this one as well? Oh, yes. So, uh. An exclusive little sneak peek up of what is coming up next of Tony, maybe. How about we go

around here somewhere, if you don't mind? Signature of Tony Visconti. Thank you very much, Mr. head judge. I mean, I think we've appointed you for life pretty much like a president does with the Supreme Court, right? Yeah. That's wonderful. -I hope I live long. -Yeah. Oh, it'll go on and on. I mean, we're going to see each other hopefully next year as well. Talking about what makes you come back every year, like why? I never see so much great music in one place. That's it. And you know, you mig

ht think it's close, but South by Southwest is a little too far for me to go. It's like America's a really big 3000 mile long place. But Reeperbahn Festival is so much talent here from so many different countries. And, you know, I remember a couple of years ago we had a Ukrainian woman who won the contest. She sang in Ukrainian and she won, You know, so it's there's no barriers. You could sing in Ukrainian, you could sing in German, French, English. Doesn't matter. And I like all of that. You kn

ow, I like all of that about this place. That's right. You should be right. -Music should have no barriers, no boundaries. -Of course. It should be a melting pot of everything, everyone would want to hear or give back to whoever is listening, right? -I think it's been called the universal language. -I love that. Yeah, exactly. You could play Chinese music on the three string instrument and it instantly makes you want to cry. You know, such a mournful sound, you know? And you know, it's interesti

ng that the whole planet has their own form of music wherever they live. And we haven't heard it all, by the way. Yeah. Change, streaming, social media that has kind of changed the way we listen, the way we experience, perceive music. For everybody or anyone to hear. Even our newcomer bands and artists or even anybody that might feel inspired tonight to go after what they actually have been dreaming about. Yeah. What would you tell them how to go about things these days? So much has changed and

I find it very, very difficult. Well, I think nowadays current songwriters, whether they be younger or older, have more facility available. Anyone could set up a website and an Instagram page and put your music out there. The hardest part is to get people to listen to you. And it might take some perseverance as well. It will take perseverance, if your heart's really in it and you are ambitious and you're going to do the good fight. Do it. And you might just get there in the end. Oh, I love it. T

hank you. Very encouraging words for anyone who might want to take that massive step. Not step, like leap. Tony you've seen your colleagues do this before, right? Also, would you kindly pull one of these cards? These are questions that might have had to be filtered out, but they still made it into the round. I'm not sure. What's your question, you pulled? Well, what's the strangest gift you've ever received from a fan? And Pelle said, I would never answer this question. I remember him saying tha

t. I can do better than that. I get all kind of things from fans and most of the time it's their own CD that they made. And I get tons of them. And I'll tell you the truth, because they they work so hard to get to me. I listen to each and everything a fan gives me. Wow. I mean, that’s incredible. Because, you know, the book ends here. You know, I mean like. If I like it, I'll do something about it. -I'll give them an encouraging phone call or. -Has it happened often? I ended up working with a fe

w fans like who gave me a demo. Well, I wouldn't know if they were fans, but that's the thing I receive most. And I don't know. And no one's ever given me anything stranger than that. Maybe a joint, you know. I love that. And then I just give it to someone else, because I don’t smoke dope. That’s what you do with joints, you pass them on. I love that. All right. Well, Daisy the Great are about to perform. The way they mix Folk Rock with Indie Rock balladry is beyond comparison. So without a doub

t, they are what they claim to be, which is Daisy the Great. Hi! I’m Kelley. I’m Mina. And our band is Daisy the Great and we’re based in Brooklyn, New York, in the US. We formed our band about seven years ago after we met in college. Kelley and i just kind of started singing in harmony together and we liked the sound of our voices together. The duo presents Indiepop casually and without varnish. We always kind of had no rules when it came to genre and style. and they’re doing it very successful

. Their single “Record Player” took off on TikTok and has generated over 300 Million worldwide streams. Kelley’s and Mina’s absolute passion: live perfomances. Our shows are very loving. Like I’m very grateful. At the moment, Daisy the Great are touring Europe for the first time. I’ve never played in Europe. This is the first time playing in Europe, we’re super excited. Nominated for the Anchor Award 2023 from the USA: Daisy the Great. Thank you so much! We’re Daisy the Great. Thank you, ladies

and gentlemen, so much. Well, I really do feel like we've been in a time machine. I mean, time flies when you're watching great talent and having so much fun. And as I look up here, Pelle is back on top of things. Are you ready? And you are joined by Banks. How is the air up there actually? It's good. I never imagined that getting high in St. Pauli just meant climbing up some theatre stairs. Banks, Hello. You are the last to sign this least macho instrument and rock history. Awesome. Please do

the honors. It will be auctioned off for charity, possibly millions of dollars. Because where else would you find these signatures In one place? Yeah. It's an unusual collaboration, to say the least. Let's see how much money it brings in. Banks, this is your first Anchor Award. What's your impression of the last couple of days? Oh, my God. It's been incredible honestly. It's been so inspiring. Getting to know these judges has been so inspiring. You know, hearing music from all over the world, di

fferent artists, different energies, seeing the crowds to react to the artists. It's been amazing. Yeah, it's good. I'm in the middle of making an album right now, so it felt actually like I got so much. I got really rejuvenated here. Yeah, really inspiring. Yeah. There's always all kinds of musical genres and styles there. How important is it for you to push musical boundaries? I mean, it's very important. More in my head to push my own boundaries when I'm making music. I'm not really thinking

of like I need to push musical boundaries. It's more just like pushing myself to doing, you know, something I'm scared to do. Something that you kind of like doubt yourself a little like pushing past. And sometimes you have to go past a limit to kind of like, bring it back a little and find a new sound. So I think that, yeah, I think pushing your own boundaries is really important. You've said that art is an influence on your music as well. When I'm making music, I oftentimes kind of like see a

world in my head anyways. Kind of with like colors and, and, you know, the atmosphere that I want to create in someone's mind if they were just closing their eyes and listening. So I do get very inspired by like, you know, depending on the song I’m writing. But I know like growing up and, you know, Georgia O'Keeffe has always been someone that I was really inspired by. And I'm really into like weird surrealist collages right now. That's amazing. So you know the drill by now. These are the questi

ons, terrifying questions, I'm sure. Would you care to pick one this? Let's do this one. If you could plan your next world tour exactly as you wish. Which venue is a must and why? I feel like some nights I would want it to be kind of like in an intimate setting. Some nights I just want to be a super popstar and, you know, play to a gajillion people, but exactly as I wish I would imagine. The middle of a forest with a lot of trees and space somehow where we can all listen to music and get crazy.

That sounds wonderful. -Send me an invite. -I will. Thank you, Banks. It's a pleasure. We have one last nominee who can't wait to perform for you tonight. Despite “The Hives” obviously, Sweden has many great rock acts such as Ghost, Ace of Base, Army of Lovers. Our next nominee is more on the softer side of things, close and personal. He performs for the captivating understatement and leaves his audience happy, but also in tears. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Hannes. Not only in his home

country Sweden has Hannes gained a lot of attention in a very short time. He made his musical debut in 2019 and just two years later received the Swedish Grammy Award nomination. Hannes is all about understatement, modesty and simplicity. No unnecessary staging, no unnecessary exaggeration. Nothing distracts. Hannes steps back and puts his music and his memorable voice to the very forefront. People like his style, his songs, his statements. Hannes has over one million listeners on Spotify, ever

y single month. Nominated for the Anchor Award 2023 from Sweden: Hannes. What a performance. Oh, love them so much, right? I can feel it, look. Yeah, I know. You can’t see it. Goose bumps and some Tears. But like definitely goose bumps. That was incredible. That was basically it. We've heard all of our nominees of the Anchor Award 2023. How did you like them? Right. I mean... You like all of them equally as much, right? Such a well picked bunch, so much talent. How's your Reeperbahn Festival bee

n? You had a good time? Did you have a good time? Yes, I did indeed. I managed to done it all. I've been standing here looking good. I've been soaked in sweat, crawling on a crowd. Done it all. And I'll do it again. If you don’t watch out. How has it been for you? I really, really, really enjoyed it. I have to say, I also think it's incredible that we can actually all share this together. It's my first time and I do think we don't give a big enough platform actually these days anymore to music i

n general, up and coming new bands and artists. So I do think this is just an incredible evening to celebrate music in general and the continuance of music, right? Can we get some applause for the organizers. Please, here is our wonderful Jury Tayla Parx, Katie Melua, Banks and Tony Visconti. He's got an important piece of paper with him. I’m sure it’s why they won and who won? So remember, the winner doesn't just get the Anchor Award, they also get 20.000 Euros. Which can be used for the next t

our. Wow. We are dying to know. Tony? Yeah, I'm gonna answer next year. And I want I assume 20.000. You can raise it. So we're dying to know who is the winner? Do the honors. Well, this is a freshly written speech, so I'm afraid I'll have to read it. The Reeperbahn Festival is an event dedicated to Variety. We rediscovered this with the performance of every nominee for the Anchor Award. They all showed so much heart. There was no artificial coolness, just pure personality. Artists defining thems

elves through the music they are carrying inside and which they are willing to share. We thank all of you, all of you nominees. But unfortunately, we can only give out one award. Our winner is an extraordinary act destined for fame. Our winner is sincere, serene, very confident and modest. Pop music is always in a state of change, and it's always pushing boundaries. We experienced music which comforted us, which soothed us and brought us to tears. The nominee creates a musical universe with stro

ng roots crafted through skill and pure musical mastery. Are you ready? The room is trembling. The winner is Ichiko Aoba. Ichiko. Come and pick up your award. Oh, my gosh. Come. Congratulations. Ichiko Aoba, winner of the Anchor Award 2023. We need a microphone, quickly, Oh, Tony, are you hiding that microphone? We could look for days. Ichiko, please. Congratulations. What's going through your head? Thank you so much. I'm so happy. Yeah. Bless you. It's wonderful to hear. What’s also would be wo

nderful to hear. I'm sure we all want to hear your song again. If you may, please play the winning contribution. Some more applause for you. -There you have it. -You want to keep this or should we take it back? Thank you. Ichiko Aoba, our winner of the Anchor Award 2023. Congratulations again. Congratulations and thank you, everyone. Thank you to all of our nominees for being part this year. All the best for the future, for your musical future. Thank you to our audience as well for being part o

f this evening. Thank you very much. And a massive thank you to the best jury between Elbe and Alster. Ladies and gentlemen, Now a big applause for our judges. Congratulations. Ichiko Aoba.