BRIT AWARDS 2012- OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC - WINNER ANNOUNCED!

BLUR

The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard

The UK’s premier music awards announce the return of the
Outstanding Contribution to Music award

Twenty-one years since the release of their debut album ‘Leisure’, British music icons Blur are named as winners of one of music’s most coveted awards


21st February 2012 – The O2 – Tickets on sale now – Broadcast live on ITV1

As the countdown begins to the most celebrated event in the British music calendar, The BRIT Awards with MasterCard announce today that Blur will be the 2012 winners of the Outstanding Contribution to Music award.

Blur have influenced the sound and attitude of British music for over twenty years. This prestigious award, which was rested last year, returns in 2012 to recognise their phenomenal achievements. In collecting the trophy, they join some of the world’s most influential names in music who have all previously been honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Music award. These include Paul McCartney, U2, Paul Weller, Oasis, Sting, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison and Queen.

Speaking about this Award, Blur said:

“It's great to have recognition for all the work and all the heartache and all the joy that’s gone into this band. ” Damon Albarn

"Being in a band this long is like a kind of time travel. We’re the same gang we ever were, we’ve just landed in a different era. Or possibly we’re a totally different Blur still playing the old tunes in 1991… forever. I haven’t decided. But it’s always nice to get a BRIT Award.” Graham Coxon


On the reintroduction of the award, BRITs Chairman David Joseph said:

“Blur are a seminal British band who have long been worthy Outstanding Contribution winners. Their contribution to British music is immense. Blur are the perfect band to bring this award back for.”
BPI Chairman Tony Wadsworth, former MD of Parlophone and CEO and Chairman of EMI Music, who has worked with Blur throughout their career, commented:

“I feel fortunate to have worked with Blur throughout their career - our relationship is a special one and I'm thrilled that the BRITs Committee and the BPI Council are keen to recognise blur's amazing impact on music.”

Since forming in the late Eighties, the band have been one of the most influential and inventive acts of the last two decades, feted both for their glorious songwriting and musicianship and an ability to crystallise the moment in a song. Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree changed the face of British music in the Nineties when they were championed as the kings of Britpop but have always refused to stand still, constantly pushing boundaries and inspiring countless bands after them. Their debut album ‘Leisure’ was released in 1991, the first of seven studio albums. In 2009 the original line up reformed to play a number of concerts including two dates at Hyde Park, which sold out in minutes, and a headline performance at the Glastonbury Festival, which was hailed by critics as one of the festival’s defining moments. The band, who have won countless awards in their career, won their first BRIT Award in 1995, clearing up that year with four awards for Best Band, Best Video, Best Album (Parklife) and Best Single (Parklife). In total they have received an incredible 15 BRIT Award nominations.

Like all winners on the night, Blur will be presented with an exclusive trophy designed for this year only by Sir Peter Blake. This is the second year the BRITs have asked a leading British creative icon to style the ‘blank canvas’ trophy, following Dame Vivienne Westwood’s success last year. Sir Peter is responsible for some of the most iconic album sleeves of all time including The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ and Paul Weller’s ‘Stanley Road’ as well as the single sleeve for Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be presented by James Corden on the 21st February and will once more return to The O2, the location for last year’s much-talked-about ceremony which featured performances from Mumford & Sons, Take That, Rihanna, Arcade Fire, Tinie Tempah, Cee Lo Green, Plan B and Adele. The awards will be broadcast live on ITV1.

More details of the 2012 Awards will be announced soon.

The BRITs 2012 Nominations Launch event will be held on Thursday 12th January from 5pm at The Savoy Hotel from 5pm.

http://www.brits.co.uk

For further information, please contact:

Press/Online - DawBell
Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes – 0207 484 5012

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TV/Radio - Scream Promotions
Claire Jarvis/Tony Cooke – 0207 434 3446
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Notes to editors

The BRITs - Voting Academy **

The Academy is made up of 1,000 specially invited members from across the breadth of the UK music industry: music critics, music writers, online & student press, major & independent record companies, retailers, music TV and radio producers & presenters, music publishers, artist managers, live concert promoters, NUS representatives and DJs. Since 2011, Artists have been invited to join the Voting Academy.

Less than a quarter of the academy's membership is drawn from the recording industry and only 12% of the voting academy is drawn from major record companies.

All academy votes** are collected online, and are counted and verified by official scrutinisers ERS (Electoral Reform Services).


BRIT - British Record Industry Trust

The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards is organised by the BPI – the British recorded music industry association - which has over 400 record company members large and small who between them account for in excess of 90% of UK recorded music sales.

The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be the 32nd BRIT Awards, which has raised more than £12.2 million for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.

Over 8,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the BRIT School since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the extraordinary music therapy work carried out by Nordoff-Robbins.

The BRITs Committee 2012

The steering group that puts the show together, is made up of: David Joseph, Chairman (Universal Music), Jason Iley (Universal Music), Miles Leonard (EMI), Christian Tattersfield (Warners), Mike Smith (Sony Music), Ben Beardsworth (XL Recordings), Geoff Taylor (BPI) and Maggie Crowe (BRIT Awards Ltd), Adrian Carter (BRIT Awards Ltd), Mark Fletcher (BPI), John Kaye Cooper (ITV), Suzi Aplin (BRITs TV Exec Producer), Craig Gledhill (BRITs TV Producer), Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes (DawBell PR)

ITV

ITV Plc is the UK’s leading advertiser-funded, free-to-air broadcaster and employs almost 4,000 staff worldwide within its Broadcasting, ITV Studios and Online businesses.
ITV’s broadcasting business is made up of ITV1, the UK’s largest commercial TV channel in terms of audience share, and the UK’s leading portfolio of digital channels - ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. Annually ITV invests around £1 billion in content for its broadcast channels and its website itv.com.

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews

About AEG & The O2

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.

In May 2005, AEG Europe announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O2 and opened in June 2007.

The centrepiece of the multi-million pound development is the 20,000 capacity indoor arena, the most popular music arena in the world. There is also a live music venue – indigO2 - with a capacity of 2,350, The O2 bubble – a state of the art exhibition space that is host to the British Music Experience, a permanent, high-tech, interactive music museum, an 11 screen cinema complex, and a vibrant ‘Entertainment District’ featuring a variety of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.

The O2 arena sold more tickets than any other arena in the world last year (breaking all previous records) – making it the most popular music venue in the world for the third year running.
Since opening The O2 has picked up many industry awards including Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (3 years running) and Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.

In Zone 2 of London’s Underground, The O2 is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula next to the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. Thames Clippers, fast-speed catamarans run a ferry service from central London to the QEII pier next to the venue every 20 minutes.

The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.

AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.