They might have been on strike at Carnegie Hall, but across the pond in Blighty, the Classic Brit Awards still steamrolled ahead. A massive production--filmed for mainstream, primetime TV (the ITV1 channel)--it was a cast of dozens and a healthy clutch of big stars. Certainly there was no talk of belt-tightening at the Royal Albert Hall, with an evening that featured performances or appearances from superstar pianist Lang Lang, Hans Zimmer (John Williams's anointed successor as Hollywood's go-to music man), Joseph Calleja (one of the new select number of what we used to call "supertenors"), violinist Nicola Benedetti and others.
Here's the full winners list...
Female Artist of the Year: Nicola Benedetti (for The Silver Violin)
Male Artist of the Year: Daniel Barenboim (for Beethoven for All, Elgar/Carter cello concerti)
Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Amy Dickson (for Dusk & Dawn)
Composer: Hans Zimmer (for The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel)
Critics' Award: Jonas Kaufmann (for Wagner)
Outstanding Contribution to Music: Hans Zimmer
Album for the Year: André Rieu, Magic of the Movies
Lifetime Achievement: Luciano Pavarotti
International Artist of the Year: Lang Lang
Others to appear included the tenor Alfie Boe, chorus master Gareth Malone with his new choir, Les Misérables star (on stage and the movie version) Samantha Barks and pianist Richard Clayderman. Which brings awards season in the U.K.--after this, the Gramophone Awards, Critics Circle Awards, BBC Music Magazine Awards and the rest--with the various ceremonies pitched at their various audiences, to a close for another year.
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