Luciano Pavarotti and Sir Bob Geldof to be honoured at the 4th IFPI Platinum Europe Awards

Brussels, 21 June 2002

The world's most popular opera star, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and the Irish musician and campaigner Sir Bob Geldof, will be present to receive special honours at the IFPI Platinum Europe Awards in Brussels on 10 July. They will join leading musicians from across Europe at a ceremony that honours artists who achieve sales in excess of one million in Europe.

French musician and composer Jean Michel Jarre will host the prestigious Awards ceremony and European Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock has agreed to present the awards. Vice-President Kinnock said: "As an avid follower of music, I look forward to taking part once again in this celebration of the creativity and diversity of European musical talent. The Platinum Europe Award has become an important date in the European cultural calendar as well as being one of the liveliest events to hit Brussels."

IFPI is also delighted to have Music Control, the leading European broadcast music monitoring service, as first ever sponsor of the IFPI Platinum Europe Awards.

Luciano Pavarotti will be presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in recognition of his unparalleled artistic and recording achievements over a career spanning more than 40 years. Pavarotti is the best selling classical artist in the history of the music industry and has sold in excess of 65 million recordings.

Sir Bob Geldof will receive an award for his Exceptional Contribution To Music. Sir Bob has been leading figure in the recording industry for both his music and his tireless campaigning on behalf of humanitarian causes.

Jay Berman, Chairman and CEO of IFPI, said: "For the first time the IFPI Platinum Europe Awards is honouring classical music and its contribution to European culture. Luciano Pavarotti is a towering figure in the music world and he has an enormous influence on widening the popularity of opera and classical music around the globe. "

Mr Berman continued: "I am also delighted that this year's ceremony will pay tribute to Sir Bob Geldof who is not only an innovative musician, but has used music to mobilise public opinion to extraordinary effect. He is an inspirational figure in an industry that is renowned for its involvement in humanitarian work."

At the Awards ceremony, Jean Michel Jarre will introduce top European recording artists already confirmed to appear include French singer Hélène Segara; German rock star Westernhagen; and Belgian singer Axelle Red. The celebrated French jazz singer Henri Salvador, who will receive a Platinum Award for his most recent album "Chambre Avec Vue", will perform live at the event. Also performing live on stage will be the British R&B band Blue and the Finnish dance group Bomfunk MC's.

The Platinum Europe ceremony takes place at Hotel Le Plaza, Brussels, in front of a specially invited audience that includes Members of the European Parliament and senior officials from the European Commission, as well as leading executives from the recording industry in Europe.

Launched by IFPI in Brussels in 1996, Platinum Europe is a celebration of the strength and diversity of European music. Europe's most successful artists achieved 87 million or multi-million selling albums in 2001, taking the number of recordings honoured with a Platinum Award to a six-year high.

This event highlights the cultural and economic importance of music to the European Union. Music is one of Europe's leading cultural exports and European repertoire accounts for approximately one third of the global music retail market. The recording industry employs, directly or indirectly, around 600,000 people across the continent.

IFPI is the organisation representing the recording industry worldwide with over 1500 member record companies including major labels and independents, as well as affiliated national groups in more than 70 countries.

Music Control tracks music broadcast on more than 700 radio and TV services worldwide using a unique fingerprint recognition technology. Music Control is part of the Media Control Group, Europe's leading music monitors for over 20 years.

For further information about the Awards please contact:

Francine Cunningham, IFPI European Office, tel: +32 (0)2 511 9208
Fiona Harley or Adrian Strain, IFPI, tel: +44 (0)20 7878 7900
Bernard Doherty /Amber McKenzie, LD Publicity, tel: + 44 (0) 20 7439 7222

For further information about Music Control please contact:

Amy Howard, tel: + 44 (0) 20 7251 2779 or email: a.howard@music-control.com