Author: Nils Floener

The Lion of Radio Luxemburg, a radio and TV award, was for 36 years a ‘glamorous highlight’ on the international show agenda. Presented first in 1959 it awarded mainly German Schlager and international pop artists. In 1998, the Lion award merged with the Deutscher Fernsehpreis.

Camillo Felgen, a Luxemburgish Radio Luxemburg presenter and Schlager singer, is credited to have invented the awards. Auguste Trémont, a Luxemburgish painter and sculptor, designed the winged lion. The 2,5 kg heavy and 26 cm high statue was awarded 227 times to artists for the celebration of their success.

Twice a year, a various number of artists awarded the Lion, going from international bands like the Bee Gees and Opus, to stars of the German Schlager like Roy Black or Peter Maffay. A jury of experts as well as the listeners determined the artists who would receive the Golden, Silver or Bronze lions.

Sources:

http://www.radiojournal.de/luxi/loewenstars/klassiker.htm

http://www1.wdr.de/themen/archiv/stichtag/stichtag3904.html

http://www.rtlgroup.com/files/pdf1/RTLGroup_GoldenLion_DE.pdf

http://www.rtlgroup.com/files/pdf1/RTLGroup_alwaysglosetotheaudience.pdf

Literature:

SCHMITT, Georges, August Trémont, Luxembourg: Section des arts et des lettres de l’Institut grand-ducal, 1980