Andrea Bocelli has been named Best Classical Artist at the first ever Global Awards. Organised by British media company Global, the awards covered multiple music genres.
Prizes were selected by a public vote, promoted by UK radio stations including Classic FM, Capital, Heart and LBC. The awards were presented in a ceremony at the Eventim Apollo in London on 1 March.
Bocelli has recently received mainstream attention thanks to his appearance on the Ed Sheeran song Perfect Symphony. The Italian tenor’s upcoming dates include Zagreb (10 March), Vienna (24 March) and Munich (7 April).
Aside from collecting his prize from Classic FM hosts John Suchet and Charlotte Hawkins, Bocelli also performed, singing Time to Say Goodbye and Nessun Dorma – both of which received a standing ovation. Sam Smith, Rita Ora and Kasabian also sang at the ceremony.
Other award winners included Little Mix (Best Song, Best Group), Stormzy (Best RnB), Kasabian (Best Indie) and Mabel (Rising Star Award). There were 16 awards altogether, representing the full range of music played across Global radio stations.
