JMT Web NewsINDUSTRY TOPICS
“Musical Instrument Stores' Grand Prize 2023” vote by Music Store Sales Staff
Musical Instrument Stores' Grand Prize 2023 recipients and products voted by music store sales staff throughout Japan and general music fans were announced on October 23. Japan Musical Instruments Association (JMIA) started the project in hopes of promoting music making and helping support music retailers 3 years ago. It has become an annual all-industry program.
This year 5 Products, 6 Artists and one Music-related Production categories were open for entry, and 3,346 music store sales staff and 29,799 general music fans voted.
The grand prix awards winners:
Products
*Digital Piano & Electronic Keyboard: Casio Privia PX-S7000 digital piano
*Flute: Muramatsu HANDMADE DS MODEL flute
*Guitars: Yamaha PACIFICA611VFM electric guitar, and Yamaha BB Series electric bass
*Violin: Eastman VL80 violin
2nd place winners:
Digital Piano & Electronic Keyboard: Kawai CA401 digital piano, Flute: Muramatsu flute HANDMADE EX MODEL, Guitar & bass: Yamaha PACIFICA112V, Yamaha TRB/TRBX Series, Violin: Gliga/Gliga Gems
3rd place winners
Digital Piano & Electronic Keyboard: Yamaha Clavinova CLP-775, Flute: Yamaha YFL-517 professional flute, Guitar & bass: Epiphone Les Paul Custom/Ebony, Bacchus Global Series-WL4-STD/RSM
Music-related Production
*Bocchi the Rock! (a serialized anime comic)
2nd place winner: BLUE GIANT (anime comic)
3rd place winner: Ao-no Orchestra (Blue Orchestra, anime comic)
Artists
Takuma Ishii (Takuon, piano), Kaho Iwasaki (flute), Ayasa (violin), Marco (Yome-to-Ore, guitar), Hama Okamoto (Okamoto’s, bass), Ryo Kanda (drums)
Comments of the manufacturers of the awarded products
“It’s a great honor that Privia PX-S7000 won the 2023 Grand Prix award. We developed the instrument under a new product concept, ‘lifestyle piano.’ It’s a digital piano with exceptional quality in design and functions. A host of business partners including Hayato Sumino, Privia Ambassador kindly sent us warm words of congratulations.”
Yoshinori Kawai, Senior General Manager, Domestic Sales Division, Global Marketing Headquarters, Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
“We appreciate very much that Muramatsu HANDMADE DS MODEL received the 2023 Grand Prix Award. It’s a standard type drown hole silver flute, but we have built it with exceptional mechanism and the best conceivable pad placement technique to maximize tonal advantages of the instrument.”
Akihiro Urano, Director, Sales General Manager, Muramatsu Inc.
“As live concerts return, and the popular animation movie inspired the interest in playing guitar, demands of electric guitar increased especially among senior high-school students. We are proud that Yamaha PACIFICA611VFM was chosen as the best instrument by the music store sales staff.
“It’s a middle class instrument, a little expensive than entry models with rich specifications exceeding price.
“BB Series has been the principal line of Yamaha basses supported by top artists for more than 40 years. They are filled with the thoughts of the developers and have continuously progressed serving the needs of the times. We really appreciate the support of the music store sales staff.”
Takashi Tasaka, Division Manager, LM Division, Yamaha Music Japan Co., Ltd.
“We are very excited that the honorable 2023 Grand Prix Award was given to Eastman VL80. Our major object has been to increase as many violin players as possible in the last 25 years. It’s great to share the honor with craftsmen team at Eastman.”
Kenzo Hayashi, president, S. I. E. Co., Ltd.