Last week, in the heart of Berlin, the Berlin Music Video Awards took place, and we were there to cover it!
Elbowing our way to the seats, between thousands of guests, we found 2 chairs and enjoyed the show. During the 3 days of the event, 140 nominated videos were screened in the main room, while 160 more were screened in a smaller room (the “Silver Screenings”).
One video after the other, and we didn’t get bored for a second! The selection was great, in every category there was a mix of videos from different music genres, origins, and visual styles! The only thing we were missing was popcorn.
In between the categories, right after the first winner was announced, a band I’d never heard about came on stage. It was a French band called “Gennre”, they were nominated for the Best Song category and played 3 songs on stage, their last song was called “Wynona”, that was the name of their video that got nominated. I listened carefully to the songs and got hypnotized by the beauty of the singer. Her voice wasn’t making it easier for me, she had this deep sexy voice, and you could hear it clearly because their show was acoustic. The guitar player didn’t miss a string! Well composed and executed, they threw me back to the 90s with their sound. I was not at all surprised that they won the “Best Song” award one hour later. Even though all the competitors in the category were good, you even had one song from the Victorias (they are pretty big) but Gennre just left them in the dust. A hungry underdog, that came to bite in the neck and win.
The evening continued with more live shows by Thunder Bae (not sure where are they based), Adan Cruz (from Mexico), and then Supermodel (from the UK). They were all amazing but still unfortunately unknown to our network somehow, if someone is there to discover them it’s the Berlin Music Video Awards. In the past, bands like Little Big and the Blaze played in this show, before they got famous. We had to speak to the organizer and find out more about the selection of videos and live shows in this event.
Waiting in line to talk to him after the screenings, it took about 40 minutes until he was finally available. A charming guy, sharp-minded but very down to earth. He goes by the name Aviel Silook, his official title is CEO (and founder) but he is a humble person and prefers “producer”.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of selecting the bands to perform?
Aviel Silook: Most of the bands apply with their video to the awards, this is how they get noticed. Today, for example, we have 3 bands that are all nominated for the Best Song. I am happy to support them with a promo gig, we know that their name won’t help to bring guests but our show is full anyway, our audience trusts our taste, and they know that we spot cool bands before they get big.
Are all the bands that performed nominated?
Aviel Silook: Not all, some are part of the Silver Screenings like Noanne and Adan Cruz, and some, like Claudia Santoso (winner of “The Voice”) just offered us to be part of the festival and we agreed.
What are the criteria to be a performer, other than being an applicant with a video?
Aviel Silook: Having good songs is a good start but in our show, we also like good performers. Strong energy and presence on stage are important. Did you see Malina Scar’s show here yesterday? She was jumping on the crowd, kicking the mic stand, she performed alone, but it felt like she had a gang with her, she was all over the place. Other than that, we like performers that can dress up right. Most of our performers come dressed up in designer clothes. It makes the show even more unforgettable.
You say that you like good performers, but the rumours are saying that two of the performers tonight perform here for the very first time!?
Aviel Silook: Oh, you mean Gennre and Supermodel right? Yes, you are right, in this case, we just loved their song and wanted to give them a chance to start their career somewhere. We knew it was a risk, but they got nominated for the Best Song category, and we feel obliged to go the extra mile when it comes to fixing performances for these nominees. Luckily, they both didn’t disappoint… the crowd loved them.
What part of the organization do you enjoy the most?
Aviel Silook: The two things that I enjoy the most are the curation of the videos and the booking of the bands. The program of the festival is the beating heart and the spirit of it all.
What is important for you when you put together the videos in one category?
Aviel Silook: Diversity! Originality! Fun! We need to create a selection good enough, so nobody will get on their phone or stand up and leave, people don’t have much patience nowadays.
What do you mean with fun?
Aviel Silook: It means that everybody can enjoy some videos in each category, that the show is a relief from stress and troubles, with no political messages, and no depressive content.
Life can be sad sometimes as well, no?
Aviel Silook: Yes, but our festival has a fun spirit, we like to keep it this way. Later when you go home you can watch the news and get depressed again. Here people come to have fun, to network, and to get inspired.
Earlier this week, in the opening of the festival, you screened a short video for the memory of David Hailey (who used to host the show for 7 years and passed away earlier this year). It was very touching, isn’t that part of life?
Aviel Silook: David was one of my best friends, he was also the face of our show. So of course, once again we’ve made an exception and took a moment to remember him. I can still hear his voice screaming on stage: “Lights!”. This show will always be his memorial for me and many people on our team.
On that sad note, we ended the interview, and Aviel had to run. It seems like he is managing many things at the same time, but still doing it pretty well.
The festival was packed with well-dressed people, the vibe was amazing, many creatives, designers, directors, photographers, journalists, producers, actors, models, musicians, and whatnot?!
We met many nice people, some people who worked with the biggest musicians in the world, many of them! We even saw the German rapper Alligatoah. This event is a very special spectacle, not many who are not from the music video industry know about it yet. According to the producer Aviel Silook, there is no promotion department, but the event is still full every year.
The show was over and the first prize of “Best Music Video” went to that new unknown band “Gennre” that we just watched earlier in the main room playing. This is mind blowing, among the nominees you had world-known bands like The Chemical Brothers, Beck, The Hives, Justice, Daft Punk, Fever Ray, Megan Thee Stallion and so many others that we all know. But the one who took the first prize, was this small band, that just got their first single out.
The festival organizers believe in providing a platform for aspiring filmmakers and artists to showcase their work and connect with industry professionals. They encourage everyone, regardless of their experience or resources, to participate and submit their videos. This inclusive approach has contributed to the festival’s success and growing popularity among both established and emerging talents.
On the website, it says that you can already apply again! We highly recommend doing so, even if you don’t have a music video… just film yourself with your phone and send it because with every application you’ll also get festival access.
Follow the link to apply for the Berlin Music Video Awards 2025.
Watch the full list of winners for the Berlin Music Video Awards 2024
