Sven Regener wins the Golden Tone” – a prize with new splendor!

Sven Regener wins the Golden Tone” – a prize with new splendor!

A significant milestone in the music scene was set in Goslar last Saturday. The “Golden Tone” music prize was awarded for the first time, and it gave the city a great moment of honor when Sven Regener was named the first prize winner. The award was originally supposed to take place as the “Paul Lincke Ring”, but the renaming of the prize became necessary after new findings about the Nazi past of its namesake, Paul Lincke, came to light. The prize is valid retroactively for 2024 and will be awarded under the new name in the future. As the NMZ reported, Regener was confident and called for a comprehensive examination of these dark chapters of history.

Urte Schwerdtner, the mayor of Goslar, praised Regener for his music and pointed out that his lyrics are permeated by deep personal passions. The jury, which described Regener as a “poetic expert in ironic-laconic tenderness,” saw him as an artist who touches people with his works. Together with Element of Crime, Regener recently brought a new jazz project, Regener Pappik Busch, to the stage, which is delighting listeners.

The new price and its meaning

The award was presented in the stylish ambience of the Hahnenklee Kurhaus, the place where Paul Lincke died. For his achievement, Regener received a new ring decorated with a clef and a shamrock - a design that now represents the award's new logo. These symbolic elements are directly related to the sound installation in the Hahnenklee spa park, in which future award winners will also be involved with a dedication. The “Golden Tone” is an undoped award that has been given since 1955 to musicians who have made a name for themselves in the field of German-language music. Previous winners include greats such as Udo Lindenberg, Annett Louisan and Max Raabe NDR highlights.

The renaming of the prize was a response to the allegations that were made in early 2024 about Lincke's closeness to the Nazi regime. In fact, historians were able to prove that Lincke was involved in these machinations and benefited from them. After the Goslar City Council approved the renaming in April 2025, the award ceremony was suspended for the time being while a report is intended to clarify Lincke's contacts with National Socialist figures.

A look into the future

Regener, who was born in Bremen, is also busy with a new book, which further increases the anticipation for his upcoming projects. However, the city of Goslar emphasizes that despite these challenges, the artistic achievements of the prize winners remain undisputed and are part of the history of the prize. At the future awards ceremony, one will have to demonstrate a good hand in both meeting the demands of the present and respecting the past.

The developments surrounding the “Golden Tone” show that art and society are closely intertwined and that it is often necessary to deal with history in order to shape a better future. Sven Regener will certainly contribute to continuing this debate with his musicality and commitment - and his extraordinary talent will undisputedly remain in the field of vision of the public and his fans.