'%20id='ico-down'%20stroke='%23000000'%20stroke-width='1.5'%3e%3cg%20transform='translate(1092.250000,%20254.750000)'%3e%3cpolyline%20id='Path-2-Copy-4'%20transform='translate(5.500000,%202.750000)%20scale(1,%20-1)%20rotate(-180.000000)%20translate(-5.500000,%20-2.750000)%20'%20points='0%200%205.5%205.5%2011%200'%3e%3c/polyline%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
Swiss-American singer and musician Erika Stucky is the winner of this year’s Grand Prix music award, presented by the Federal Culture Office and worth CHF100,000 ($106,500).
Stucky plays “an outstanding role in Switzerland’s music scene and far beyond” announced on Tuesday. Born in San Francisco in 1961, Stucky grew up in the mountain village of Mörel in canton Valais. She studied pantomime at the Teatro Dimitri in canton Ticino, followed by acting and jazz singing in Paris.
Since the 1980s she has been “working on her own universe of sound”, noted the culture office, describing her diverse musical identities as a singer and multi-instrumentalist as well as performance artist.
On stage Stucky made a name for herself with her groups The Sophisticrats and Bubbles & Bones. She has also appeared in various productions in Switzerland and abroad.
The award will be presented at the Opéra de Lausanne on September 17. In addition to Stucky, another 14 musicians will each receive a CHF25,000 prize honouring their contributions to the Swiss music scene.