In loving memory

It’s nearly that time of year when the Denniz Pop Awards roll around again. The awards are held in honour of Dag Krister Volle, better known as Denniz Pop, one of our most influential producers and DJs, producing hit tracks like Ace Of Base’s The Sign and working with the likes of Robyn and Max Martin, before he tragically died of cancer in 1998. As a tribute to his role in spreading Swedish music around the world, the awards were set up to honour Swedish artists who have succeeded internationally, or to boost those who have the potential to succeed.

The awards have been won by some of the biggest names in Swedish music in the recent past, including Tove Lo, Avicii and Salvatore Ganacci. The public has the chance to nominate their musical favourites, and artists even have the chance to apply if they’re feeling particularly proud of their recent work. The jury will then decide the final nominees for each of the four award categories; Songwriter/Producer, Artist/Band, The MVP and The Grand Prize. The winners are then announced at the awards ceremony on June 9. This year’s jury includes the aforementioned Tove Lo, Max Martin and Laleh.

Marit Woody, Head Of Communication at The Denniz Pop Awards, says the jury are looking for something special when deciding the nominees: “The jury are looking for talent that is extraordinary, something that stands out and has its own sound. They are also looking for talent and quality that they think can work internationally. That’s very much what the Denniz Pop Awards are about. They’re about Swedish musicians, producers, artists and songwriters making it internationally, so that we can export music that works on the world stage”.

And according to Woody, this year’s awards ceremony promises to be one of the biggest yet, including a concert open to the general public: “After the awards ceremony we open up Café Opera and Operakällaren and the space around it to give people an extraordinary night, with many artists performing songs. Just like we did last year, but this year even bigger and better!”. Some of the artists already confirmed to perform include electro-house artists State Of Sound and Lucas Nord, folk duo Smith & Thell (last year’s Artist/Band winner) and pop act Violet Days (pictured).

The Denniz Pop Awards is a non-profit event, with the money from the awards going to the Denniz Pop Foundation, which aims to raise money for Radiumhemmet. You can find details of how to donate at the Denniz Pop Award’s website. AM

Denniz Pop Awards, Jun 9, Café Opera.