The winner of this year’s Tampere Music Award is Pelle Lidell, one of the most successful European music publishers in recent decades.

With 300 million record sales and endless streams in his career and several thousand of songs recorded and released, Swedish Pelle Lidell can be described as one of most consistent hit makers in the music publishing world in the last 20 years, as well as a leading figure in the Nordic music publishing industry. Lidell has served at Air Chrysalis Music and Murlyn Songs, and as the European A&R Executive at Universal Music Publishing UK, Lidell is since January 2017, President & Co-founder of EKKO Music Rights Europe – CTGA, a global music publishing company launched by Korean k-pop legend Soo Man Lee.

Lidell’s credits include major worldwide hits with Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Milian, Sugababes, Duffy, John Newman, Samantha Mumba, Janet Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Ricky Martin, Kid Cudi, Galantis and many more. Some of Lidell’s writer and producer signings include Bloodshy, Avant, Anders Bagge & Arnthor Birgisson, Booker, Karen Poole, Herbie Crichlow, The Kennel and Dsign Music (which has been involved in a total of 25 number one songs on different US Billboard charts), among others.

"Since the beginning, Pelle has been a key player in the Finnish Song Castle projects. Pelle works with great heart and great loudness. I cannot really imagine anyone being a more suitable winner for this prize than him", Says musician, producer and Finnish publishing industry veteran Antti Lehtinen.

Lidell is considered a European hit pioneer in the k-pop world, and has since 2008 delivered an array of hits to SM Entertainment’s roster of pop stars along with other k-pop companies.

In addition to his achievements in the business of music publishing, Lidell has long worked as an important bridge builder for the Finnish publishing industry, sharing his networks and establishing relationships worldwide, especially between the Nordic and Asian markets. His open attitude has not only helped Finns but the entire Nordic music publishing industry and songwriters. Lidell is a key player in the success of Nordic writers breaking into the k-pop market.

”Pelle Lidell plays a huge part in the internationalization of Finnish songwriting. Always giving help during my days at Music Finland, Pelle has a big heart for his neighbor country and a key role in opening the gateway to Korean market for our publishers and songwriters”, says Music Finland’s former export manager Sami Häikiö.

The Tampere Music Award will be handed to Pelle Lidell at the Industry Awards Gala on Friday 6 October in Tampere. The prize is given by Perttu Pesä from Visit Tampere. The award was designed by Taru Syrjänen, a glass artist and designer from Tampere.

Pelle Lidell will be interviewed on a Keynote interview about the global music publishing business, importance of networks and Nordic songwriting talent, on Friday at 15:00 at Music & Media by the Chairman of Finnish Music Publishers Association, CEO and founder of Elements Music, Tommi Tuomainen.