EUROPE Awarded Swedish Government's Special Prize

On Wednesday, April 10, veteran hard rockers EUROPE were awarded the Swedish government's Special Prize by the minister for international development cooperation and foreign trade Johan Forssell. Loreen was presented with the government's Music Export Prize and the Honorable Mention went to Melodifestivalen.

EUROPE said: "We were very honored to receive the Swedish Government's special award for long-standing contributions to Swedish Music Exports. Thank you to all who were there and for all the support."

Forssell said: "Swedish musicians continue to be internationally successful and I am truly proud to present this year's prizes. Swedish music exports bring in billions and the industry contributes to job opportunities, growth and spreading a positive image of Sweden abroad. We want to acknowledge that today."

The jury's citation: From teenage rock dreams in the classrooms of Vilundaskolan in Upplands Väsby in the late 1970s to prominent careers filled with export success, international chart toppers and epic world tours, EUROPE, with their mix of hard and melodic rock, were pioneers in putting Sweden on the world map. The band had a major breakthrough and achieved great success with the album "The Final Countdown" in 1986 but had already won over Japanese hard rock fans with their song "Seven Doors Hotel" in 1983. A string of timeless and iconic songs such as "The Final Countdown", "Rock The Night", "Superstitious" and "Carrie", to name just a few, will always be a fundamental part of the Swedish "music phenomenon".

Since their comeback in the early 2000s, the band's journey has continued through energetic live performances, continued impressive songwriting and successful albums to this day. Not only have EUROPE survived constant changes within the music industry, they have also become a symbol for constant development and artistic integrity. They have successfully combined their ability to create powerful songs without losing the connection to the heavy '70s rock that the members grew up with. EUROPE have not just preserved their magnificent heritage, but also dared to explore new musical territories, cementing them as a long-lasting and respected force in rock music. In Sweden — and the world.

Last year, EUROPE released a new song titled "Hold Your Head Up". The track, which is described by the band as "a punchy uptempo rocker with reminiscent elements of early EUROPE," was recorded in August 2023 at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with producer Klas Åhlund (GHOST, ROBYN) and was mixed by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, DEF LEPPARD),who also mixed EUROPE's "Secret Society" album.

"Hold Your Head Up" was made available to stream and download on September 29, 2023 across all reputable digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora and YouTube Music.

EUROPE's twelfth studio album is expected to be recorded in late 2024 and released in early 2025.

The "Hold Your Head Up" video offers a glimpse into the brand-new documentary that the band have been busy filming with producer/director Craig Hooper (DEEP PURPLE, SAXON) for Coolhead Productions simply titled "Europe - The Movie". The film will tell the story of the band, from formation until present day, telling of their rise to success in the mid-1980s, through hard times and heartache, to coming back in the millennium, and the current successes the band has achieved. This is set for release later this year.

EUROPE recently completed "Time Capsule" European tour which included 21 concerts across Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, The Netherlands, and the U.K., including two nights at the famous London Palladium. These anniversary shows consisted of a career retrospective "evening with" performance featuring all the hits together with deep cuts and fan favorites from all of their 11 studio albums.

EUROPE's latest album, "Walk The Earth", was released in October 2017 via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).