Reeperbahn Festival congratulates Keychange ambassador Joy Denalane on German Sustainability Award
Reeperbahn Festival and the Keychange initiative offer their congratulations: the 13th German Sustainability Awards on 04 December saw musician and Keychange ambassador Joy Denalane presented with the special honorary award in recognition of her commitment to social issues.
As one of Germany’s most prominent artists, Joy Denalane has taken up a responsible position, openly speaking out against discrimination and stigmatisation of people in Germany and abroad. Through her music she reaches people in a particularly engaging way, and encourages them to play their part in creating a better society. She leads by example and is actively involved in social projects such as the Keychange initiative, where she serves as an ambassador for gender equality in the music industry.
Merle Bremer, Project Lead Keychange:
“In 2019, we acquired in Joy a highly motivated ambassador for Keychange, with her powerful voice and exemplary commitment to equal and diverse representation of all genders in the music industry. Joy, we offer you our warmest congratulations and are delighted that your commitment has been recognised with this special award.”
Other honorary recipients of the German Sustainability Award 2020 include Sir Elton John for his long-standing engagement in the fight against HIV/AIDS, US futurologist and political visionary Jeremy Rifkin for his commitment to an ecologically responsible and future-oriented economy, and Hawaiian singer-songwriter Jack Johnson for his efforts to promote responsible lifestyles and nature conservation. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, is also among the prizewinners and will receive her award for the European ‘Green Deal’ at a separate ceremony in spring 2021.
This year, due to anti-infection considerations, the German Sustainability Award was held as a hybrid event without a live audience, instead featuring guests contributing from five studios.
Berlin musician Joy Denalane made her breakthrough in 1999 together with the hip-hop collective Freundeskreis and their joint hit “Mit Dir” (“With You”). Since then, Joy Denalane has released several ground-breaking solo albums, earning her the accolade of ‘German Queen of Soul’. A regular in the German charts’ Top 10 for two decades now, Joy Denalane provides striking proof that artistic depth and commercial success are by no means mutually exclusive. In September 2020, her current album “Let Yourself Be Loved” was released, not only marking her debut with legendary US record label Motown, but also representing her definitive soul statement.
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