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Cultural exports rock the world

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Why you can trust SCMP

Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges Paul Weller's contribution to a $65billion music industry

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A FEW YEARS ago at the Brits Awards - Britain's Grammys - Alex James of the band Blur declared when accepting a fourth award: 'This is ... industry!'

Rock 'n' roll is big business, indeed, especially for Britain. According to a government source, the nation's music sector now contributes no less than GBP4.6billion ($65.78 billion) a year to the nation's GDP. More than GBP1.3 billion of that is generated by overseas markets - including Hong Kong.

Britain's popular music industry went global in earnest when The Beatles jetted off to appear on America's Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and, in June of the same year, flew to Hong Kong to play a show here.

Three years ago, The Rolling Stones rocked us out of our Sars slump at the Harbourfest.

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This year's hot tickets are Coldplay in July and Robbie Williams in November. And at present, more than half of the HMV music chain's international Top 40 releases are recordings by British talent.

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