Today BBC audiences across the country and here in the Midlands have heard the news that the BBC Music Awards are coming to the Genting Arena in Birmingham, this December.
From Black Sabbath to Duran Duran, The Streets, Jamelia and Laura Mvula, Birmingham has a rich and glorious musical history – including my personal favourite ELO.
Now One Direction and Wolverhampton star Liam Payne will be joining his band mates on stage back in the homeland as event headliners! As Director of BBC Birmingham – and a proud Midlander - I’m looking forward to welcoming Liam and the rest of 1D to the region.
This morning BBC WM 95.6’s Adrian Goldberg joined in the excitement getting some reaction from some Birmingham 1D super fans (from 1.40m in) and audiences will be able to share more of the buzz on tonight’s BBC Midlands Today live from Birmingham at 6:30pm.
The BBC has been part of Birmingham, and Birmingham part of the BBC, since 1922. The first regional radio service was broadcast from here and the first ever BBC children’s programme was broadcast from Birmingham in 1922.
And we’ve been here ever since. But one of our challenges is the perception that our commitment and our activity has diminished, and the BBC doesn’t do much in Birmingham or play its part in the City.
We do loads in Birmingham and will continue to. This year the BBC in Birmingham became the BBC’s new centre of excellence for skills, recruitment and talent development for the whole UK, with the BBC Academy and HR Division. We also have the Drama Village in SellyOak and the new Digital Innovation Unit based in Fazeley.
Some of the nation’s most-loved programmes are produced in Birmingham including Radio 4’s The Archers and Home Front and BBC One’s Doctors and Father Brown. More than 130 hours of television drama are produced a year from here and the city is also home to English Regions HQ.
By the end of 2015/16 Midlands spend will be in excess of £125m with the all the changes being made in Birmingham. This is more than 50 per cent up on where we were a couple of years ago, and we’re bringing 300 new jobs to the city.
The Music Awards coming here marks the next big moment in BBC Birmingham’s modern history and this supports our evolving story.
BBC Music is the Corporation’s strongest commitment to music in 30 years - comprising an ambitious wave of new programmes, innovative partnerships and ground-breaking music initiatives. This is designed to strengthen the BBC’s place as a world leader in music broadcasting and commissioning, and enhance the UK’s position as a global trailblazer in music creation and performance.
So I am thrilled the Awards are coming to my patch. And audiences in Midlands who agree can listen out on BBC WM 95.6 for more news about the Awards over the coming weeks, as well as a chance to win tickets.
We’ve worked hard with many of our partners in the city to bring the Music Awards to Birmingham and we’re looking forward celebrating a great year in music with audiences across the Midlands.
During the week preceding the Awards, the BBC Music team will be running outreach events across the city, encouraging and inspiring new or aspiring artists in conjunction with local partners and venues.
The events will focus on sharing expertise and advice about working in the music industry. During the day there will be a series of seminars and workshops looking at issues such as 'How To Make Money In The Music Industry', 'Women in Music' and 'The Art of Song Writing'. Each evening there will be a BBC Introducing Showcase featuring up and coming bands, acts and performers from across the city.
This will all add up to real buzz in the City and fulfil our public purposes to cater for the different regions and communities of the UK, as well as bringing those people together for shared experiences.
I'm confident the 93 year old story of the BBC in Birmingham will go from strength to strength.
Joe Godwin is Director of BBC Academy and BBC Birmingham.
- Find out more about the BBC Music Awards on the BBC Music website,including information on how to book tickets.
