Pop Megastar Tarkan Sweeps Turkey’s Kral Music Awards

Turkish pop megastar Tarkan swept Turkey’s the 17th Kral Music Awards on Tuesday, taking home seven trophies, including major awards such as best male singer, best song, best album and best video.

The annual Kral Music Awards, launched in the ’90s by the Turkish music station Kral TV, marked its 17th anniversary with an awards show on Tuesday night at Istanbul’s Halic Congress Center, which was packed with celebrities from the Turkish music and TV industries.

Tarkan was a no-show until the ceremony’s final moments, when the winner of the very last awards — best male singer and best song, which went to Tarkan and his “Sevdanin Son Vuruşu” (Love’s Last Shot), from his most recent studio album — was announced. The pop megastar finally made a much-anticipated appearance onstage to loud cheers and applause from the audience, presenting his award-winning song, as well as two other songs from the CD “Adımı Kalbine Yaz” (Write My Name on Your Heart), which won best album.

Tarkan also took home the awards for best video for his song “Op” (Kiss) and “singer whose songs are played the most on radio stations.” His “Sevdanin Son Vurusu” also earned the best composition and best lyrics prizes, the latter going posthumously to the song’s late writer, Aysel Gürel.

The best female singer award went to Sertab Erener, while rock band Gripin was named best group.

Veteran arabesque singer-songwriter Orhan Gencebay and folk and arabesque singer Ibrahim Tatlises were the recipients of this year’s two Kral TV Honor Awards.

In other categories, the best breakthrough artist award went to up-and-coming pop singer Berkay, while the award for best music arranger went to Ozan Colakoglu for his work on Tarkan’s “Sevdanin Son Vurusu.” Kral TV’s Turkish classical music award went to singer/songwriter Nev, while singer Kubat won the Kral TV Turkish folk music award.

The ceremony was aired live on NTV and Kral TV, as well as 100 local TV stations across Turkey and three international stations.

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