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BBC Asian Network to support first sales-based award

BBC Asian Network and The Official Charts Company are to support the first sales-based Asian Music Award.

BBC presenter Bobby Friction and The Official Charts Company’s (OCC) Phil Matcham will present the inaugural accolade for ‘Best-Selling British Single’ at the forthcoming UK Asian Music Awards, taking place in London on 10th March.

This first-ever UK AMA to be based completely on sales data will be presented to the top selling track from an Independent label or unsigned artist counted over a 12 month period from February 2010-2011.

BBC Asian Network and the OCC launched the world’s first-ever Official Asian Download Chart in March 2010, which is compiled by the OCC from a panel of more than 25 online music retailers, with Jay Sean ‘Hit The Lights’ currently holding the coveted Number 1 spot. Bobby Friction counts down the Top 40 from 3pm every Saturday.

Mark Strippel, Head of Music & Events: “This is the first Award to celebrate real commercial success by artists of Asian origin and helps raise the profile of some of the future crossover stars of UK Music. Major labels are beginning to recognise the emerging potential of British-Asian music talent and this market”

Phil Matcham from the Official Charts Company: “We are delighted to link with the BBC Asian Network for this milestone. The Official Asian Download Chart has proven to be a great success and this is the next natural step – an award that recognises the top British music that people are buying”

Likely contenders for the ‘Best-Selling British Single’ include Panjabi MC, Foji, JK, Panjabi By Nature and Sukshinder Shinda.

BBC Asian Network is an official broadcast partner for the UK Asian Music Awards with coverage including a special Friction highlights show (including backstage interviews and Award winners live in the studio) on 10th March from 10pm and a special Red Button TV Interactive programme from 14th-21st March, hoping to build on 2010’s audience of 780,000.