Austin, Texas – March 18, 2023 – The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals announced the winners for this year’s Grulke Prize.
The award, now in its ninth year, was developed in honor of our friend and colleague Creative Director Brent Grulke, who passed away on August 13, 2012.
Brent’s love of music and the spirit of the festival is reflected in the three prize categories: Developing U.S. Act, Developing Non-U.S. Act, and Career Act.
The Developing Act Prizes are for artists who are breaking new ground with their creativity and show the most promise in achieving their career goals. The Career Act Prize is for an established artist who appeared at SXSW to reinvent themselves or launch a new project.
Past winners include Leon Bridges, Haim, Chvrches, Courtney Barnett, Jade Bird, Anderson .Paak, Jain, Dolly Parton, Iggy Pop, Damon Albarn, Spoon, The Chills, and The Flaming Lips.
The Grulke Prize winner for Developing U.S. Act is Blondshell
In the past few years, Sabrina Teitelbaum has transformed into a songwriter without fear. The loud-quiet excavations that comprise her hook-filled self-titled debut as Blondshell don’t only stare traumas in the eye—they tear them at the root and shake them, bringing precise detail to colossal feelings. They’re clear-eyed statements of and about digging your way towards confidence, self-possession, and relief.
The Grulke Prize winner for Developing Non-U.S. Act is Balming Tiger
Balming Tiger from Seoul, South Korea is a diverse music collective taking their name from the famous Asian ointment “Tiger Balm”. Balming Tiger describes themselves as a “multinational alternative K-pop band” with a desire to create an impact globally. The main creative vision of Balming Tiger is to reflect and represent the younger generation of today’s society, while aiming to further popularize Asian culture throughout the world.
The Grulke Prize winner for Career Act is The Zombies
Iconic British psychedelic pop legends The Zombies are back to celebrate their long-awaited Induction into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with a new album in the works and their “Life Is A Merry-Go-Round” Tour. Never content to only look back, The Zombies spent the pandemic touring-hiatus in the studio recording the follow-up to their 2015 Billboard-charting album, Still Got That Hunger. The Robert Schwartzman directed documentary about the band, Hung Up On a Dream, had its World Premiere at SXSW 2023.
Jurors for the Grulke Prize include music critics, industry professionals, and SXSW staff, many of whom knew and worked with Brent over the years.
About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2023 takes place March 10 – 19, 2023. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.
SXSW 2023 is sponsored by White Claw, Porsche, Itaú bank, C4 Energy, Slack, and The Austin Chronicle.
