Warner Classics was named Label of the Year at the Gramophone Awards in London yesterday, with the label and imprint Erato also taking home three category wins.
The honour comes just three years after Warner purchased the catalogues of EMI Classics and Virgin Classics.
Artists and catalogues under the Virgin Classics banner were transferred to the revived Erato label, while those signed to EMI now sit under Warner Classics.
Warner Classics’s President, Alain Lanceron and Head of Classics UK, Patrick Lemanski, collected the award from Gramophone’s Editor Martin Cullingford.
“Warner Classics nurtures new artists, shows complete belief in them and gives them the devoted commitment they need to become tomorrow’s greats.”
martin cullingford and james jolly, gramophone
The label was honoured for “nurturing new artists, showing complete belief in them and giving them the devoted commitment they need to become tomorrow’s greats,” said Cullingford alongside Gramophone Editor-In-Chief James Jolly.
They continued: “[Warner Classics honours] recording’s heritage with beautiful presentation and brings it alive for a new generation, continuing that golden tradition in our own day, with a no-expense-spared studio opera drawing on the talents of today’s leading artists.
“These are three facets of Warner Classics that come together to make them a worthy winner of our 2016 Label of the Year Award.”
Lanceron accepted the award, commenting: “Who would have thought in 2012, when the catalogues of EMI and Virgin were sold to Warner in an unstable climate, that four years later the label Warner Classics would receive the prestigious and coveted accolade of Gramophone Label of the Year?
“[This award] is proof that the guiding principles that led us to revive this label, with important new signings alongside deep catalogue exploitation, has borne fruit and that Warner Classics today holds a place in the hearts of classical music lovers all over the world.” alain lanceron, warner classics
“It is the proof that the guiding principles that led us to revive this label, with important new signings alongside deep catalogue exploitation, has borne fruit and that Warner Classics today holds a place in the hearts of classical music lovers all over the world.
“Thank you to Gramophone for this recognition and to all our artists and the Warner Classics team who make the label what it is today.”
Lemanski, Head of Warner Classics UK, added: “It has been a fantastic year, ranging from ambitious frontline projects such as Pappano’s Aida to the magnificent legacy boxes honouring the talent of music icons like Yehudi Menuhin or Itzhak Perlman.
“I’m really pleased and proud to see all these efforts recognised and acknowledged by the fair judges at Gramophone magazine.”
WMG artists honoured on the night included Sir Antonio Pappano for his studio recording of Verdi’s Aida, and concerto category winner Vilde Frang for the Korngold and Britten disc.
Conductor Raphaël Pichon accepted the Recital award on behalf of the French soprano Sabine Devielehe for their Mozart & the Webber Sisters project on the Erato label.
Elsewhere, the Lifetime Achievement Award went to German singer Christa Ludwig for a career spanning over 45 years.
Pictured [L-R]: Vilde Frang (artist), James Jolly (Gramophone), Alain Lanceron, Sir Antonio Pappano (artist), Raphaël Pichon (artist), Patrick Lemanski.
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