Die Toten Hosen will be honored with the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia. According to information from the German Press Agency, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) will present the state’s highest award to the band on October 30 in Düsseldorf. Last year, former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) received the State Prize.
The punk rock band is to be honored for the formative influence of their music on the “social discourse and the cultural landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia and for their decades of social and societal commitment,” according to the State Chancellery.
Wüst: Tote Hosen are musical and human role models
“The Toten Hosen are rock legends and stage icons, they are one of the most successful German bands of all time – and they are a living part of North Rhine-Westphalia’s cultural heritage,” explained Prime Minister Wüst.
He added: “Die Toten Hosen use their popularity to take a clear stance against xenophobia, anti-Semitism and right-wing extremist violence and to support people on the fringes of society and in need.” Singer Campino and his colleagues are not only musical but also human role models.
The state prize was founded in 1986. Previous winners include multiple Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, former Federal Environment Minister Klaus Töpfer, Circus Roncalli founder Bernhard Paul and women’s rights activist Alice Schwarzer.
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