As part of the WAVES VIENNA FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE, the XA-Export Award is presented annually. Out of six nominated Austrian acts, rapper BEX emerged as this year’s winner of the XA – Export Award 2023.
With her hot performance at the venue The Loft on September 8, the fearless rapper Bex convinced the six-member jury and won the hearts of the audience at Waves Vienna. The following day, Bex was awarded the XA – Export Award 2023 at the XA – Export Award Show.
Bex grew up in the Pongau region of Salzburg and moved to Vienna in 2019. After that, things developed quickly: one of her first performances, in 2021, was at a local event organized by female promoters and event managers. Then she had two features on W1ZE‘s EP “Down Low”, which was nominated for Best Sound at the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards in 2022. And then, just this summer, she performed on the main stage at the 2023 edition of Popfest Wien. Her latest release is titled “Bundles” and was released in August 2023.
Katharina Seidler of FM4 has referred to her as “rap superstar-to-be Bex” and writes: “The expert jury, consisting of international delegates from the music business who scout for new talent at the Waves Festival in Vienna, correctly recognized that Bex is in a league of her own when it comes to flow, stage presence, performance and charisma.”
Jury Members & Nominees
The international jury members were Philipp Schnyder von Wartensee of m4music (CH), Jesús Guisado of Monkey Week (ES), Ralph Christoph from c/o pop (DE), Beke Trojan of MS Dockville (DE), Lisa Schoemaker from ESNS (NL) and Niklas Magedanz from Goodlife Artists (DE).
Bex won out against a tough slate of nominees that included Another Vision, Bon Jour, Cousines Like Shit, Endless Wellness, and Rian.
About the XA – Export Award
The XA – Export Award was created in 2017 by mica – music austria, Austrian Music Export, Austro Mechana/SKE Fonds, Radio FM4 and Waves Vienna, with the aim of supporting Austrian artists who have established a base in Austria in taking the next step and launching an international career. Each year, Austrian Music Export, Waves Vienna and Radio FM4 jointly compile a shortlist of nominees from the list of all Austrian artists performing at Waves Vienna. An international jury consisting of festival promoters, label operators, bookers, and journalists watch the nominees’ showsat the festival and select the best performance. The winner receives a cash prize of 3,500 EUR, as well as the support of Austrian Music Export, FM4 and Waves Vienna in the following year and tour support from the Austrian Ministry of Culture in the amount of 5,000 EUR.