IL Divo to get new Classical Brit honour

With worldwide sales of in excess of 25 million albums, it’s no surprise that operatic quartet Il Divo are set to be recognised with an honoury accolade. The foursome will pick up an award naming them as Artists of the Decade at the Classic Brit Awards next month.
Britain’s recorded music industry association the BPI added that the group, which is made up of four singers from France, the US, Spain and Switzerland, will perform a new song at the awards show at the Royal Albert Hall.
The organisation added that the award recognised “the massive impact that Il Divo have made worldwide on the ever-changing public face of classical music”.
Il Divo, signed to television personality and music producer Simon Cowell’s Syco label, released their debut album in 2004. Their second album, Ancora, became the first classical crossover album ever to debut at number one in the US market on the Billboard Top 200 ranking.
“When we joined Il Divo none of us had done anything like this before,” said band member David Miller.
“We were excited to break from our traditional roots and create something new … performing and recording are what we love, but receiving this award is a great honor.”
The Classic Brit Awards were first set up in 2000 as a platform to recognise all forms of classical music from traditional to crossover. This year’s ceremony will see Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson and the cast of Les Miserables perform.
The BPI is the representative voice of the UK recorded music business. The group’s members account for approximately 90 per cent of all recorded music sold in the UK.