Bløf wins 2003 Pop Prize

12 January 2004

AMSTERDAM — Zeeland music group Bløf has won the Popprijs 2003 award, presented during the Noorderslagfestival in De Oosterpoort in the city of Groningen on Saturday night.

The jury praised the group’s hart-warming and obstinate oeuvre and the band was presented with a special trophy and EUR 10,000 in prize money, NOS reported.

Speculation had abounded in recent weeks that Bløf would take away this year’s 2003 Pop Prize.

And the group — whose drummer Chris Gotte was killed in a car accident in March 2001 — appeared to be moved by the victory.

Singer Pascal Jakobsen said the award was a great compliment and that after six good years, it had been proven that the band had not been a one-hit wonder.

“But if in future the prize falls into the hands of an idol, we will give it back,” he said.

Bløf — which won the award after being judged to have made the most important contribution to Dutch music in 2003 — said the victory did not represent the end of the road, but that it would try and win it again next year.

Previous winners of the prestigious award include the sexy and fiery mother-of-two Anouk, DJ Tiësto (who recently won DJ of the Year award), Urban Dance Squad (having successfully mixed rap with other genres, such as hardcore and funk) and perennial crowd pleaser Marco Borsato.

Subject: Dutch news