Winners of the German Music Authors' Prize 2016 - Lifetime achievement award winner, and Winnetou film score composer, Martin Böttcher: "This was the highlight of my life"

On last Thursday evening, GEMA awarded the German Music Authors' Prize to music authors for their outstanding musical works. The composers and lyricists who had won the prize accepted the award during a gala event in the Ritz Carlton in Berlin. "That was the highlight of my life", rejoiced Martin Böttcher during the award ceremony for his lifetime achievement. With his compositions for the "Winnetou" films of global fame, as well as for a multitude of cinema and TV productions, he shaped German music. "The fact that the film became such a success, was considerably due to his music", stated Mario Adorf, [one of the actors in the Winnetou films], who held the laudatory speech. "Martin Böttcher beautifully managed to transport and enhance emotions without being too overpowering. His music opened a new and independent world, whose soul was palpable and stirred emotions, to the film and thus to the audience." Prof. Monika Grütters, State Minister for Culture and Media, and patron of the Music Authors' Prize, highlighted in her speech: "To bring the creative works of composers and lyricists into the limelight, to publicly acknowledge their musical strokes of genius - that is the special significance of the Music Authors' Prize. It honours the boundless diversity and spectrum of musical creation in Germany. Artistic top performance must, however, also be rewarded financially so that creatives can live well off their profession." The Music Authors' Prize honours composers and lyricists who have reached outstanding musical achievements", stated Dr. Harald Heker, CEO of GEMA. "They provide us with a wonderful gift with their creations, the gift of diversity. It is that diversity that forms the basis of our culture, which in turn makes the work of music authors so unique and so valuable." Prof. Dr. Enjott Schneider, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GEMA, added: "Against the dazzle of the grand seigneur, Martin Böttcher, with his lifetime achievement award, stood further first-class award winners. They were all closely followed in quality by other nominees in their respective categories. As a consequence, it was possible to experience a fireworks of creativity. It strikes me again each year that this is all possible in solidarity and in unity. Across any and all categories, from Schlager (chanson) to hip hop and classical concert music, the unspoken rule applies that everyone shows mutual respect and curiously listens to the works of the others." An overview of the winners

Composition Audiovisual Media
Florian Tessloff     Composition Pop/Rock
Sonja Glass (BOY) Composition Jazz/Crossover
Tini Thomsen     Lyrics Hip-Hop
Marten Laciny (Marteria/Marsimoto) Composition Ensemble Music
Enno Poppe     Lyrics Singer-Songwriter
Sven Regener (Element of Crime) Composition Music with voice + …
Samir Odeh-Tamimi     Young Talent Award (Category E - serious music)
Jagoda Szmytka Lifetime achievement
Martin Böttcher     Most Successful Work of the Year
"Astronaut“ by Sido feat. Andreas Bourani
Authors: Andreas Bourani, Simon Müller-Lerch, Paul Neumann, Marek Pompetzki, Cecil Remmler, Paul Würdig About the German Music Authors' Prize
The German Music Authors' Prize was launched by GEMA in 2009, in order to honour composers and lyricists from the German music sector for their outstanding achievements. Under the slogan "Authors honour authors", music creators who rather often do not enjoy the limelight of the stage but stand in the shadows of the artists, come to the fore. The German Music Authors' Prize is under the patronage of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, State Minister Prof. Monika Grütters (member of the German Bundestag). The prize is awarded in ten categories, of which seven are re-determined each year by the Academy of German Music Authors. The different categories reflect the diversity of the artists and genres that GEMA represents. All award winners and nominees automatically become members of the Academy of German Music Authors with their awards. Further information can be accessed at www.musikautorenpreis.de and www.adma.de. Image and video material for printing and e-mailing purposes is available at www.musikautorenpreis.de/epk. All information on the German Music Authors' Prize can be accessed at www.musikautorenpreis.de.