Sande getting NARM award

DONIO’S VERSION OF EVENTS: Speaking of Emeli Sandé, NARM will present the up-and-comer with the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the Music Biz 2013 Awards dinner party on Thursday, May 9, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Already a Platinum-selling superstar in her native U.K. with the biggest debut album of 2012, Sandé has sold more than 320k units of new single “Next to Me” in the U.S., with a recently released version featuring Kendrick Lamar providing the track with additional momentum. “Emeli is certainly one of the industry’s brightest new lights, and we’re excited to shine a light on her and her accomplishments at Music Biz 2013,” said NARM/digitalmusic.org. Prexy Jim Donio, who’s never at a loss for words. “Her debut album, Our Version of Events, was the best-selling album of the U.K. in 2012, and with her new single causing a serious stir here in the U.S., we expect her to reach new levels of fame on our shores. We hope this award will serve as a launching pad for her, just as we have showcased the now-superstars such as Taylor Swift and Mariah Carey in the past.” (4/2a)