Die besten Musikvideos des Jahres 2023: „Berlin Music Video Awards“-Gewinner:innen

MOST BIZARRE

DESCRIPTION: „Slowthai is a British rapper and songwriter known for his unique style and energetic performances; he gained recognition in 2019 with the release of his debut studio album, “Nothing Great About Britain”. His new music video “Yum” is the winner of our Most Bizarre category and can be described as creatively disturbing. Directors and winners Crowns & Owls visually display everything you can expect from Slowthai’s brilliant and complex mind. “More coke, more weed, more E’s, more trips…”, the “Yum” music video shows everything that people want him to do but don’t do anything for him. slowthai’s music videos demonstrate his ability to push boundaries and challenge societal norms. They incorporate unique visual styles, compelling narratives and powerful imagery to create an immersive experience that complements his music’s raw and honest nature.“

BEST EXPERIMENTAL

DESCRIPTION: „Liminal spaces, backrooms, big city and rooftops. A bird’s eye perspective on the big and huge product of humanity, while humanity itself is dying in it. Director and winner of the Best Experimental category, Phillip Kaminiak, brings us “Circle”, showcasing the modern human being’s circle of life – and death. The video shows humans dancing to the rhythm of ancient tunes, dressed in all black, with just a big red dot on the forehead; they are all part of the same entity and this entity is dying. This entity is nothing else than humanity, surrendered to machines and the high speed movement of capitalism. Filmed in Mexico, “Circle” competed against other names such as Victor Van Rossem, Daniel Brandt and Zeugl. It had been a hard battle, but in the end, it was clear that there were no equals. Circle is a stunning video to reflect on how far we’ve come and how it’s impossible to go back: nothing is left, but dance.“

BEST SONG

DESCRIPTION: „What does it mean to be clean? Purity, innocence, whiteness: forget it all. The winner of the Best Song category is going to make you want to do the wrong thing. After five different nominations, Uni and the Urchins take first place for their song “Clean”. No other lyrics match so well with the instrumentals; the after-taste of 70s Rock is perfect for the subject of transgression and naivety. The repetitive beat takes from psychedelic rock and gets you to push the repeat button without even thinking. The American band has raced with different compatriots and people from all over Europe – Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France and Germany itself – with the other nominees coming from Canada and Puerto Rico. The competition was stiff, but “Clean” came out on top. May they have persuaded the jury to get unclean? Well, if it is, they might have been the right thing.“

BEST VFX

DESCRIPTION: „The winner of the best VFX category for this year goes to the VFX team at SQUARE for their work on the music video “Même pas un grincement“ by Ziak. The song is about the struggles of a criminal lifestyle and living in silence. The video takes you deeper, microscopic view into the creation of different mechanisms of criminality like vehicles, guns, robots etc., leaving you to wonder what’s human, what’s criminal, and what’s in between. The French nominee competed with big names like Ed Sheeran and the five-time-nominated Uni and the Urchins. However, neither Ed Sheeran’s video for “2Step“ which mixed nostalgia with a marriage of the visuals, dance and music nor the eye-catching and out-of-the-box thinking visuals of “Simulator“ by the Uni and the Urchins have struck the jury members as much as the dystopian machines of the criminal life.“

BEST ART DIRECTOR

DESCRIPTION: „Immerse yourself in the bright colours in the music video for “Nsera”, the winner of the Best Art Director from Gregory Ohrel and Anais Profit. The Afro-pop song of the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara is in collaboration with Damon Albaran from the Gorillaz. It’s a mesmerizing visit to Africa through powerful shots that mix local traditions with modernity. Director Ohrel has captured the viewers with its storytelling, epic visuals and African history condensed into a 3-minute video. Big names like Oliver Tree and Nina Chuba were racing for the same nominations, but this piece of art soared to the top. This time the clever and artistic use of colours and a showcase of history won against psychedelic, cyberpunk and suburban aesthetics of songs like “Tippa My Tounge“ by Red Hot Chili Peppers and “Shinigami Eyes“ by Grimes. “Nsera”, meaning destination in Bambara language, goes right to the core of the message: reach into your own roots and you’ll find your home.“

BEST NARRATIVE

DESCRIPTION: „“Tense“ by Thom Draft is the winning video of the Best Narrative category at this year’s BMVA festival. From director and winner Albert Albert, this music video shot entirely by smartphone shows the life of a teenage girl who goes viral after discovering she has a unique superpower on Instagram Live. Albert’s work has a far reach, like his music video for Duke Dumont’s “The Giver” which has reached 50 million views on Youtube. This narrative video has had major success over other innovative videos like “Take Me to America“ by Salvatore Ganacci, who directed and produced the music video himself, and “Borderline“ by Tove Lo, which is a love story on the edge and depicted in revenge. “Tense” is a small masterpiece of our modern reality that leaves you wondering what happens next.“

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

DESCRIPTION: „Immerse yourself in the bright colours and vivid life of Mali and other African cultures in the music video for “Nsera”, the winner of Best Music Video for the 11th edition of the Berlin Music Video Awards! The Afro-pop song of the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara is in collaboration with Damon Albaran from the Gorillaz. It’s a mesmerizing visit to Africa through powerful shots that mix local traditions with modernity. Director Ohrel has captured the viewers with its storytelling, epic visuals and African history condensed into a 3-minute video. Big-name videos like “Kill For Your Love” from Labrinth and “Cash In Cash Out” from Pharrell feat. 21 Savage & Tyler, The Creator were racing for the same title, but this piece of art soared to the top. “Nsera”, meaning destination in Bambara language, goes right to the core of the message: reach into your own roots and you’ll find your home.“

Noch mehr kreative Musikvideos

Weitere kreative Clips, die es dann vermutlich kommendes Jahr zur Preisverleihung schaffen, gibt es regelmäßig in meiner laufenden Reihe „Neue originelle Musikvideos“ zu sehen.

Artikelbild: Artemis Malta.