WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- New Zealand Telecom held its first ringtone music awards ceremony late Thursday.
The national telecommunications group presented its platinum award to three songs, namely Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful"; "1,2 Step" by Ciara with Missy Elliott; and "Red Red Wine" by UB40.
"Increasingly mobile users are using music to imprint their individuality onto their phones, heralding an exciting new era in mobile content and entertainment," Kevin Bowler, head of mobile marketing at Telecom, said in a news release. "Gone are the days when everyone in a room scrambled for their cellphone when they heard the ubiquitous ring ring. Now it's more like a music fest and you can get an idea of a person's age, tastes and personality by the mobile ringtones they choose," he added.
Meanwhile, Kerry George, content manager at Mercury Mobility, stated that "the sales of mobile ringtone and caller tunes are now just as valid a measure of an artist's popularity as CD or album sales. This collaboration between the recording and mobile industries has created a new channel for artists to reach their fan base."
