The hard rock band Scorpions (“Wind of Change”) and jazz-pop singer Katie Melua (“Piece by Piece”) received the European Culture Prize at the Bonn Opera – thus as several other winning awards.

Among them, the trumpeter Till Brönner, the violinist David Garret and the soprano Diana Damrau. Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich manager Ilona Schmiel was honored, along with actor Tobias Moretti and former Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg.

The European Culture Prize rewards personalities, initiatives, artists, politicians or institutions for exceptional services and achievements around and for Europe and its citizens. The gala takes place every year in different European cultural cities.