BBC Announce Music Awards

The BBC has revealed that it will host its own music awards ceremony later this year as part of a new music strategy announced on Monday (16^th June).

The BBC Music Awards will bring together BBC One, Radio 1, Radio 2 and The One Show on December 11^th at Earls Court in London- hosted by Fearne Cotton and Chris Evans (pictured).

Awards will include British Artist of the Year, International Artist of the Year and Song of the Year alongside live performances. Sound familiar? Clearly, the BBC took a long, hard look at the BRITS and every other music industry awards ceremony under the sun and decided that the world needed one more.

Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC said: “Today’s the start of something very special for everyone who loves music. BBC Music is a celebration of the brilliant musical talent across our country. We’ll be joining up music on television, radio, iPlayer and online like never before. There’ll be new shows, new partnerships, and whole new ways to enjoy music on the BBC”.

Several music documentaries are also set for broadcast across various BBC channels, including a show that will reunite all of the original members of Genesis– a classic Partridge pitch if ever The Gen heard one!

Subject to BBC Trust approval, Radio 1 will get its own branded space within BBC iPlayer later this year, featuring Live Lounge performances and ‘Innuendo Bingo’. On the festival front, full sets and exclusive content from Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds festivals will be available on demand through iPlayer for 30 days. As part of the strategy, the BBC also announced Ten Pieces, a new initiative for primary schools designed to inspire children to learn more about classical music led by BBC Learning, BBC Orchestras and BBC Singers.

Elsewhere, BBC Introducing has forged a partnership with the National Skills Academy to deliver training in production and technical skills.

Find out more about the new music strategy here.