Brit Awards Honor Pet Shop Boys

British Dance Duo Receive Outstanding Contribution to Music

Dec 14, 2008 James W. Coates

In February 2009 the Pet Shop Boys collect the biggest honor in the British music industry for their achievements over the past 20 years.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, best known as the Pet Shop Boys, will receive an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music during a live ceremony on February 18, 2009 at London’s Earls Court. The duo will also perform during the event.

This award places the electronic dance duo among very distinguished musical royalty. Past recipients of the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award include Paul McCartney, Oasis, U2, Sting, David Bowie, The Eurythmics, The Beatles and The Who.

The Pet Shop Boys Shape 80’s Music

Since releasing their first single “West End Girls” back in 1986, the Pet Shop Boys have crafted some of the most memorable dance/pop songs of the past 20 years. The electronic pioneers have sold over 50 million records worldwide and have become one of the most influential musical acts to come out of the UK.

Racking up four number one singles on the UK Chart, including their first single, “It’s a Sin”, “Always on My Mind” and “Heart”, PSB have also had 22 top 10 hits and an impressive 39 top 30 singles.

The duo won Best British Group Award at the Brits in 1988.

The Pet Shop Boys Side Projects

Along with writing most of their own material, theY have also written, produced or remixed music for other acts including Liza Minnelli, The Killers, Madonna, Robbie Williams, David Bowie, Kylie, Yoko Ono and most recently Girls Aloud.

Neil Tennant also provided vocals on “Getting Away with It” by Electronic in 1989 and collaborated with The Killers and Elton John on a Christmas charity single “Joseph, Better You Than Me” in 2008.

Crafting music that evokes emotion and theatrics, the Pet Shop Boys also produced the soundtrack to “The Crying Game”, the controversial movie from 1993 which gave Boy George his last top ten hit with the soundtrack’s title cut.

In 2005, the boys released Battleship Potemkin, a mostly instrumental soundtrack to the 1925 silent film. Directed by Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, the film portrays sailor rebellion and was banned in most of the western world until as late as 1954.

The Pet Shop Boys in 2009

Along with collecting the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, The Pet Shop Boys will release their tenth studio album of new material on March 23, 2009, their first since 2006’s album, Fundamental.

Their latest single, “I’m in Love with a German Film Star” by Sam Taylor Wood and produced by The Pet Shop Boys, is currently climbing the UK Dance Chart.

The copyright of the article Brit Awards Honor Pet Shop Boys in Dance/Techno Music is owned by James W. Coates. Permission to republish Brit Awards Honor Pet Shop Boys in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Pet Shop Boys

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Jan 28, 2009 11:25 AM

Guest :

It's about time, frankly. Their innovation continues as strong as it has ever been and its all the better because they refuse to become rock royalty, do things on their own terms and have become immensely successful as a worldwide institution (except in America). Rock fans and guitar groupies don;t consider them seriously because they make electronic music and don;t really care if they appear or are perceived as "macho" or not. But frankly,in 2009, who is going to take a guitar groupie seriously anymore? Well done boys. Recognition at last.

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