Duran Duran to Headline at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress Awards Party

Writer and actor Stephen Fry to host Global Mobile Awards 2010 in Barcelona

The GSMA, which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry, today announced that Duran Duran, one of the world’s most successful rock bands, will headline the Congress Party & Awards Celebration on Tuesday 16 February 2010 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Writer, actor and self-confessed technophile, Stephen Fry, will host and present the awards, which have taken on a new two-part format, comprising an afternoon awards presentation as well as the evening celebration party.

Honouring excellence and innovation in mobile communications worldwide, the mobile industry’s leading annual awards include categories for Mobile Entertainment, Marketing & Advertising, Mobile Services, Innovation and Technology, as well as the Green Mobile Awards and Best Mobile Contribution to Social & Economic Development. The Global Mobile Awards presentation will take place in the afternoon on Tuesday 16th February in the main conference auditorium at the Congress.

At the official Congress Party & Awards Celebration at the National Palace in Barcelona later the same evening, three high-profile awards for the year will be presented, including Best Mobile Handset, the GSMA Chairman’s Award and Mobile Industry Personality of the Year. The evening event will also be hosted by Stephen Fry and will culminate with a headline performance by Duran Duran.

Duran Duran are currently finalising their 13th studio album, produced by Mark Ronson, for release in early 2010. Over the last thirty years the band have topped the charts around the world, with 18 American hit singles and 30 in the UK. With a global presence that guarantees them huge concert audiences on five continents, they have sold more 100 million records worldwide. The band’s keyboard player and founding member, Nick Rhodes, will also be interviewed as part of the Mobile Entertainment keynote session in the conference programme at the Mobile World Congress on Wednesday 17 February 2010.

The afternoon awards presentation is open to all Mobile World Congress conference delegates, award nominees and all accredited press attending the event. Tickets for the evening celebration party are on sale now at the online registration point for the Mobile World Congress, which you can access via www.mobileworldcongress.com/registration/registration.htm. The entertainment for the evening is sponsored by INQ Mobile. The Best Mobile Handset award is sponsored by Myriad.

Entries for the 2010 Global Mobile Awards are now closed, and the shortlisted nominees will be announced in January 2010. The awards are judged by more than 100 independent journalists, analysts, academics and subject experts. A full list of the judges can be found at www.globalmobileawards.com.

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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries and territories, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.

For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the new online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com or the GSMA corporate website at www.gsmworld.com.

Press contacts:
Daniel Lowther: +44 7747 636 687
[email protected]

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