Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Common Music Group the Ukraine Peace Prize for its help of Ukraine throughout the nation’s struggle with Russia.
At a ceremony on Monday (Sept. 5) at UMG’s Belgium headquarters in Brussels, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, introduced the award to Frank Briegmann, UMG’s chairman and CEO of Central Europe.
UMG, which was among the many first main labels to declare its support for financial sanctions towards Russia after it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, is the primary music firm to obtain the award from Ukraine.
“Because the starting of the full-scale invasion, Common Music has confirmed that they’re true pals of Ukraine,” Stefanishyna says.
The label says its efforts embody help for NGOs, together with World Central Kitchen, the Worldwide Purple Cross, Worldwide Rescue Committee, CARE and the Worldwide Medical Corps.
UMG government vp Michele Anthony additionally performed a central position in International Citizen’s “Stand Up for Ukraine” social media rally in April, which helped increase greater than $10 billion for Ukrainian refugee aid via the European Union’s pledging summit. The occasion introduced collectively a whole lot of 1000’s of worldwide residents, together with many UMG artists, in addition to different musicians, athletes, actors, creators and activists.
The label additionally helped set up numerous charity live shows that generated tens of millions of {dollars} for aid efforts. In July, UMG labels Decca Classics and Deutsche Grammophon partnered with New York’s Metropolitan Opera to launch A Live performance for Ukraine, an album recorded stay on the Met on March 14 that includes a particular live performance in help of Ukrainians. Performed by music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the album opens with the Nationwide Anthem of Ukraine, that includes Ukrainian bass-baritone and Lindemann Younger artist Vladyslav Buialskyi. Proceeds from the sale of the album have been donated to charities supporting aid efforts in Ukraine.
Quite a few UMG artists additionally raised tens of millions of euros on the Berlin charity live performance “Sound of Peace,” together with Sarah Connor, Rea Garvey and David Garrett. And a charity live performance in Poland, organized with a choir and orchestra of Polish and Ukrainian musicians, was broadcast in 50 international locations, UMG says.
UMG artist Sting re-recorded his music “Russians,” pledging earnings to the HelpUkraine.Heart (www.helpukraine.middle), a volunteer storage middle established by Ukrainian enterprise house owners to obtain humanitarian and medical support from all over the world.
“All through historical past, music has served as a beacon of inspiration and hope and therapeutic – and serving to to convey peace to these affected by violence,” Briegmann stated in accepting the award. “The Russian navy invasion in Ukraine impacts tens of millions with pressing humanitarian wants – from meals and water to shelter and clothes. Common Music and our workers and artists are proud to help teams which can be on the bottom offering lifesaving, humanitarian help to these most susceptible.”
Different recipients of the Ukraine Peace Prize embody Microsoft, Google and Amazon (for its Amazon Net Providers, or AWS).
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Company by way of GI
