Teenage cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has become the first artist to be awarded the new BRIT Certified Breakthrough Award.
The 19-year-old classical music has received the award after passing 30,000 UK sales for his debut album Inspiration.
His debut offering features selections of his favourite songs, all recorded with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It includes orchestral renditions of Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
The album has amassed over 100,000 worldwide album sales and has made him the youngest cellist to ever break into the UK Top 20.
Inspiration is the top selling classical album of 2018 in the UK and has enjoyed 13 weeks at Number 1, also topping Billboard’s Emerging Artist chart in the US, making him the first classical musician to do so.
The BRIT Certified Breakthrough Award is an extension of the Silver, Gold and Platinum Awards which are given to artists upon achieving notable sales landmarks.
Artists are given a Breakthrough Award for recognising their first album to surpass 30,000 sales.
Sheku rose to fame after winning the BBC’s Young Musician in 2016, making his BBC Proms debut the following year and performing at the Royal Wedding in 2018, where he was personally invited to perform at the ceremony by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
On the award, he said: ‘It’s so amazing to be given this BRIT Certified Award and I’m still overwhelmed by the incredible response to the album from around the world. I’m so happy that people are continuing to enjoy my playing and I hope it encourages them to explore music further.’
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & BRIT Awards – the body that certifies the Awards, said: ‘Sheku has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months, winning over an army of fans and numerous accolades, including two Classic BRIT Awards.
'It’s hard to think of a worthier recipient of the first BRIT Certified Breakthrough Award to be presented, and I am sure that Gold and Platinum discs will now follow!’
The 19-year-old classical music has received the award after passing 30,000 UK sales for his debut album Inspiration.
His debut offering features selections of his favourite songs, all recorded with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It includes orchestral renditions of Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
The album has amassed over 100,000 worldwide album sales and has made him the youngest cellist to ever break into the UK Top 20.
Inspiration is the top selling classical album of 2018 in the UK and has enjoyed 13 weeks at Number 1, also topping Billboard’s Emerging Artist chart in the US, making him the first classical musician to do so.
The BRIT Certified Breakthrough Award is an extension of the Silver, Gold and Platinum Awards which are given to artists upon achieving notable sales landmarks.
Artists are given a Breakthrough Award for recognising their first album to surpass 30,000 sales.
Sheku rose to fame after winning the BBC’s Young Musician in 2016, making his BBC Proms debut the following year and performing at the Royal Wedding in 2018, where he was personally invited to perform at the ceremony by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
On the award, he said: ‘It’s so amazing to be given this BRIT Certified Award and I’m still overwhelmed by the incredible response to the album from around the world. I’m so happy that people are continuing to enjoy my playing and I hope it encourages them to explore music further.’
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & BRIT Awards – the body that certifies the Awards, said: ‘Sheku has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months, winning over an army of fans and numerous accolades, including two Classic BRIT Awards.
'It’s hard to think of a worthier recipient of the first BRIT Certified Breakthrough Award to be presented, and I am sure that Gold and Platinum discs will now follow!’
