British pop stars Birdy and James Blunt are heading to Berlin for this year’s Echo Awards, Germany’s top music honors.
Blunt is nominated for an Echo in the category of best international rock/pop act, alongside Justin Timberlake, Robbie Williams, Joe Cocker and Passenger. Birdy is competing in the best international female rock/pop artist, against Katy Perry, New Zealand phenomenon and double Grammy winner Lorde, Austrian singer Christina Sturmer and ex-ABBA member, now solo artist, Agnetha Faltskog.
The Echos, which will be held in Berlin on March 27 and broadcast live on public channel ARD, are considered the German equivalent of the Grammys.
Blunt, currently on tour in Germany in support of his latest album Moon Landing, will perform the single “Heart to Heart” at the Echos. Birdy will perform “Words as Weapons,” the new single from her Fire Within album.
Numerous German acts have also confirmed they will perform live at the Echos, including rap and soul artist Jan Delay and German hip-hop pioneers Die Fantastischen Vier. Delay will perform the single “St. Pauli” from his new album Hammer & Michel, which drops April 11. The single will be available for download in Germany directly after the Echo Awards.
In celebration of their 25th anniversary as a band, and to promote new album Rekord, which drops in October in Germany, Die Fantastichen Vier plan to set a record of their own by performing 25 of their hits live in just four minutes and 10 seconds flat.
German pop star Helene Fischer will host the 23rd Echo Awards.