Overview
- The trio posted on Friday that they will not accept nominations or attend the 1LIVE Krone, calling the award a promotional tool the station uses while giving German-language music little regular play.
- KitschKrieg cited a tally of 1LIVE's playlist from 10 November showing 363 songs with 34 German-language tracks, about 9.4 percent and many aired at night, as evidence for their complaint.
- WDR/1LIVE formally disputed the accusations, saying it has long promoted German artists and noting KitschKrieg's songs have aired on 1LIVE over 1,000 times since 2018 while rejecting a fixed language quota.
- The dispute has drawn mixed reactions from other musicians, with Shirin David questioning voting-based prizes and Finch defending community voting; fan voting for the 1LIVE Krone remains open until 2 December and the ceremony is set for 3 December in Bielefeld.
- Beyond the award fight, KitschKrieg criticized planned WDR changes such as the 2027 launch of 1LIVE Street and the discontinuation of COSMO, and their protest has widened the public debate on how broadcasters should support domestic music.