FREEKIND. WON THE MUSIC MOVES EUROPE AWARD
On Thursday, January 18, at a ceremony in Groningen, Netherlands, as part of Eurosonic, the prestigious Music Moves Europe Awards (MME) were presented. The Croatian-Slovenian duo freekind., consisting of Sara Ester Gredelj and Nina Korošak Serčič, emerged as winners of the MME Award. The MME Awards showcased the diversity and creativity of the European music scene, putting a spotlight on emerging young musicians who set trends and represent the current and future European sound.
For the Music Moves Europe Awards 2024, 15 outstanding European musicians were nominated, including another excellent musician and Croatian representative, Fran Vasilić, but only five of them received awards. The prestigious Grand Jury Prize and MME Public Choice Award went to the French artist Zaho de Sagazan, and among others, the Croatian- Slovenian duo freekind. was also honored, along with Bulgarian Cartrader from Bulgaria, Giift from Denmark, yunè pinku from Ireland, and Ralphie Choo from Spain.
The independent jury for the MME 2024 awards consists of five prominent individuals from the global music business, namely Gemma Bradley (BBC Radio Ireland), Cindy Castillo (Mad Cool Festival), Kevin Cole (KEXP), and Bryan Johnson (Spotify). Additionally, each year, the previous year’s audience choice winner joins the jury, and this year, Jerry Heil from Ukraine occupies that position.
The award is based on the judgment of the expert jury, and for freekind., they said: “We love everything about freekind. Their music is like a massive hug. So dreamy.” Upon receiving the award, the freekind. members stated: “We are happy to receive recognition from the music industry for our music that shares a message of hope and optimism. We hope this award signifies that more people in today’s world are thinking in the same way and opening doors to like-minded individuals. Therefore, we sincerely thank the expert panel, our team, and everyone who attends our concerts, hears our music, and believes in its message.” The winners also receive a cash prize.
The Music Moves Europe Awards (MME Awards) is an annual award presented by the European Union to encourage emerging artists in preserving and showcasing European music. The MME Awards are designed to enhance the international careers of rising European artists. Previous winners include Stromae, Alyona Alyona, Rosalía, Girl in Red, Dua Lipa, Sans Soucis, Hozier, Meskerem Mees, and Christine and the Queens.