Entertainment · Music · 1 hr ago
Kitschkrieg rejects 1Live award and criticizes German music airplay
German producer team Kitschkrieg says it does not want the 1Live Krone award and has no interest in attending the ceremony.
The team argues that German-language songs make up only 10% of 1Live’s daily programming, with about half of that played at night.
Kitschkrieg also says the radio station expects nominees to promote the awards and send their fans to vote.
Rapper Shirin David backed the criticism, saying artists should not have to provide free promotion to earn a nomination.
The WDR, which runs 1Live, rejects the charge and says the station supports artists who shape Germany’s music scene, regardless of the language they sing in.
The WDR says it has played Kitschkrieg’s songs more than 1,000 times since 2018.
The disagreement centers on how German radio should support local music and whether award campaigns fairly use artists’ audiences; no further action is stated.
Kitschkrieg says it will reject the 1Live Krone award and skip the ceremony, accusing the radio station of giving too little airtime to German-language music while using artists’ reach to promote the event.
Rapper Shirin David backed the producers and questioned the promotion expected from nominated artists.
Kitschkrieg says German-language songs make up 10% of 1Live’s daily programming, with about half of that broadcast at night.
The WDR, which operates 1Live, rejected the criticism and said the station has played Kitschkrieg’s songs more than 1,000 times since 2018.
Kitschkrieg’s song “Gut genug,” featuring David and Blumengarten, is nominated for Best Song at the awards.
- Who
- Producer team Kitschkrieg and rapper Shirin David criticized 1Live. The WDR defended the station.
- What
- Kitschkrieg said it would reject its 1Live Krone nomination and not attend the ceremony, criticizing the station’s music programming and promotion demands.
- When
- The dispute was reported on November 13 and 14, 2026. The ceremony is scheduled for December 3.
- Where
- The dispute concerns German radio station 1Live and its 1Live Krone awards ceremony in Bielefeld.
- Why
- Kitschkrieg says 1Live gives too little airtime to German-language music and uses artists’ reach to promote the awards. David also objected to promotional demands and the voting process.
Kitschkrieg and Shirin David
WDR and 1Live
Music programming
Kitschkrieg and Shirin David
Kitschkrieg says German-language music accounts for only 10% of 1Live’s daily programming, about half of it at night.
WDR and 1Live
WDR says the key consideration is whether artists shape the German music scene, not whether they perform in German.
Awards promotion
Kitschkrieg and Shirin David
Kitschkrieg says 1Live uses artists’ reach to promote the awards, and David questions what artists must do to earn a nomination.
WDR and 1Live
WDR says 1Live and the awards have made artists from Germany visible for years.
German-language music quota
Kitschkrieg and Shirin David
Kitschkrieg called for more responsibility toward German music and raised the idea of a language quota.
WDR and 1Live
WDR views a fixed quota for German-language music critically, saying it could disadvantage artists who sing in English or other languages.
Kitschkrieg criticized 1Live on Instagram, saying German-language music receives little airtime and artists’ reach is used to promote the awards.
WDR rejected Kitschkrieg’s criticism and said it had played the group’s songs more than 1,000 times since 2018.
Shirin David shared material about the awards promotion and backed Kitschkrieg’s criticism.
The 1Live Krone ceremony is scheduled to take place in Bielefeld.
- Nomination
- Gut genug” is nominated for Best Song
- Artists
- Kitschkrieg, Shirin David and Blumengarten made “Gut genug
- Airplay claim
- Kitschkrieg says German-language music makes up 10% of 1Live’s daily programming
- Night broadcasts
- Kitschkrieg says about half of that German-language music airs at night
- WDR airplay
- The WDR says 1Live has played Kitschkrieg’s songs more than 1,000 times since 2018
- Ceremony
- December 3 in Bielefeld
3 sources
What people are saying
Wir wollen euren Preis nicht und haben auch keine Lust auf eure Verleihung. Macht es einfach alleine, genau wie wir. Wir sind genauso wenig Fan von euch, wie ihr von uns.
Man soll seine eigene Community auf eine fremde Plattform schicken, damit diese am Ende entscheidet, ob man einen Preis bekommt oder nicht. Wer zeichnet hier eigentlich wen aus und wer profitiert von wessen Reichweite?
Das zeigt sehr klar, dass Künstlerinnen systematisch in die Vermarktung eingebunden werden sollten.
Die Band Kitschkrieg begleiten wir seit vielen Jahren aktiv, ihre Songs haben wir in 1Live seit 2018 über 1000 Mal gespielt.