12/10/11: As Adele hits thirteen times platinum across Europe, over 60 artists pick up IMPALA Sales Awards, including Manel, Bon Iver, Miossec, dEUS, Agnes Obel and The Horrors.

Brussels – 12th October 2011

The new Pan-European Independent Sales Awards from IMPALA demonstrate once again the strength and diversity of independent music across Europe in a wide variety of genres.
 
Adele’s sophomore album “21”, which received a Six-Times Platinum IMPALA Sales Award in March, has continued its astonishing success to reach Thirteen-Times Platinum. Danish singer/songwriter Agnes Obel’s debut album “Philharmonics” has been upgraded to Diamond, along with “The Very Best of Frank Zappa”, while single “Welcome to St. Tropez” by DJ Antoine vs Timati feat. Kalenna is a new Diamond entry. Bon Iver’s self-titled album and “Spark Of Insanity” by Jeff Dunham both receive Double Gold awards; winners of Gold awards include Opeth, The Prodigy and Bring Me The Horizon.
 
As always, the awards demonstrate the diversity of successful independent musicians across Europe, with other winners including The Knife (Sweden), Miossec (France), Darkthrone (Norway), Els Amics de les Arts (Spain), dEUS (Belgium) and Mogwai (UK).
 
The new winners represent over 137 million euros in sales, with 16 Platinum (400k), 3 Diamond (200k), 2 Double Gold (150k), 13 Gold (75k), 22 Double Silver (40k) and 21 Silver (20k) from all across Europe.
 
In total over 830 awards have been registered so far, representing more than 82 million CDs sold and €1.23 billion in revenue.

You can listen to many of the winning titles on our Spotify playlists (Silver Awards, Double Silver Awards, Gold Awards, Double Gold Awards, Diamond Awards and Multi-Platinum Awards), or to find out more visit the IMPALA website or our social media sites:

About the Awards

The IMPALA Sales Awards are the only pan-European awards devoted to independent artists. They are the first awards to recognise that success on a pan-European basis needs to be acknowledged on different levels. They celebrate the fact that achievement and success begins well before 1 million (the only pan-European sales level officially recognised before IMPALA launched its own scheme).
The IMPALA Sales Awards are an extra tool for independents and their artists to market themselves internationally. IMPALA’s on-line certification system is available at www.impalamusic.org where framed awards can also be ordered.
The awards are part of IMPALA’s wider strategy to create new opportunities to promote independent music, real entrepreneurship and cultural diversity, in the face of increasing concentration.
 
The new award levels are:

IMPALA also has two other awards, created to celebrate IMPALA’s 10th anniversary; the European Independent Album of the Year Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award, which are announced annually.

About IMPALA

IMPALA was established in April 2000 to represent independent music companies. 99% of Europe’s music companies are small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Known as the “independents”, they are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and artists - they produce more than 80% of all new releases. The independents also produce 80% of the sector’s jobs.

The potential of the sector is enormous. Key investment, online and market access measures are expected to be put in place at European and national level for the independents and other cultural and creative SMEs - now officially recognised by the EU as “the drivers of growth, job creation and innovation”. Fostering Europe's economy of culture and diversity is one of Europe’s top priorities in becoming the world's leading knowledge economy. Culture is a bigger earner than any of chemicals, automobiles or ICT manufacturing and provides more than 3% of Europe's jobs.

IMPALA has its own award schemes to promote cultural diversity and new talent and highlight the artistic contribution of independent music. IMPALA award winning artists include Efterklang, Adele, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Carla Bruni, Manu Chao, Corneille, Katie Melua, Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy, Placebo and Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club).