In the spotlight: Naaz won 2020 Music Moves Europe Talent Award and Public Choice Award

The annual Music Moves Europe Talent Awards are designed to celebrate emerging artists who represent the European sound of today and tomorrow. During the 2020 edition at Eurosonic Noorderslag music festival and conference in Groningen, an international expert jury selected eight winners out of sixteen nominees, while fans across the world voted for the Public Choice Winner. Aside from being in the jury's selection, 21-year old Naaz turned out to be the public's favourite as well, which is why she went home with two prestigious prizes.

Music is one of the most popular forms of art, widely consumed, and a vibrant expression of Europe's cultural diversity. Music Moves Europe, the overarching framework for the European Commission's initiatives and actions in support of the European music sector, and Creative Europe, the EU funding programme for the culture and audiovisual sectors, aim to help the music sector flourish by, among other things, supporting the annual Music Moves Europe Talent Awards.

Following the release of debut EP Bits of Naaz, her career took off quickly amassing huge support both at home where she won two Dutch Grammies and was nominated for ‘Best Act’ at MTV’s EMAs, whilst internationally supporting Arcade Fire and Jessie J. Naaz is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter and producer, who immediately captures your attention with her distinctive voice. Coming from a Kurdish background, it took some time to convince her family she needed to follow her passion. In the meantime she taught herself to write, produce and record her own ‘quirkpop’ in her bedroom.

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If you are a cultural professional who wants to learn more about funding opportunities in the EU, feel free to contact Creative Europe's communications officer Annelies Bokma.