Gerd Gebhardt to chair Platinum Europe Award

London, 2 July, 2001 - Gerd Gebhardt, President of Warner Music Central and Northern Europe, is to take over as Chairman of the organising committee of the IFPI Platinum Europe Award. He will oversee the planning of the fourth Platinum Europe show scheduled to take place in summer 2002 in Brussels.

Gebhardt has been the Chairman of Germany's Echo Awards since 1991, guiding that event over a decade of major expansion. He has held positions at Warner Music in Germany and in the European region since 1983. Senior record industry colleagues on the Executive Committee of the IFPI's European Board of Directors nominated Gebhardt to the chairmanship of the Platinum Europe Award.

He succeeds Paul Russell, former Chairman of Sony Music Entertainment Europe, who moved to the USA at the end of 2000 to take up a new position in Sony's headquarters in New York.

Platinum Europe is the music industry's pre-eminent Award in Europe, honouring artists whose albums have sold a million or more copies across the continent. Since its inception in 1996, the Platinum Europe Award ceremony, which takes place every two years in Brussels, has rapidly evolved into a prestigious showcase for European music , attracting many of the world's best-selling international artists as well as Europe's top politicians.

Jay Berman, Chairman and CEO of IFPI said: "Gerd Gebhardt is the ideal choice for Chairman of the Platinum Europe Award. He has a tremendous track record as the executive producer of the Echo Awards, and he brings to our team a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding the European music market. This bodes very well indeed as Platinum Europe enters the next phase of its development. "

Gerd Gebhardt said: "I am honoured and delighted to be taking over as Chairman of the Platinum Europe team. Bringing the Award to where the event is today has already been an outstanding accomplishment. Platinum Europe has achieved extraordinary recognition worldwide, from the music industry and from the artist community. It also has a very exciting future and many possibilities for further development. I am looking forward to building on the success of Platinum Europe in the future".

For further information contact:
Adrian Strain, Fiona Harley, IFPI
Tel. 44 207 878 7900