Hans Theessink:

"I wrote The Planet shortly after the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. At the time I was touring the Czech Republic and Slovakia – then still Czechoslovakia, before the fall of the iron curtain – and experienced how the people in charge kept the whole thing secret and didn't stop radiated vegetables etc. from being sold to the public. In the news they just mentioned that there were a few minor problems at the Chernobyl plant but that everything was under control. To me it proved that you just can't trust political leaders because more often than not their minds are set on political power – not on the well-being of the human race, in balance with their natural resources and life on the planet.

"That's why I like the idea of the Nuclear-Free Future Award. We can't leave decisions for the future of our planet in the hands and minds of political leaders."

After nearly 40 years "on the road" and with 20 albums, an instruction video, a songbook and a DVD to his name, Vienna-based Dutchman Hans Theessink (pronounced Tay-sink) has become a roots and blues institution. The US blues press wrote "Hans Theessink is an international blues treasure", while the legendary Bo Diddley called him "One helluva guitar player".

His roots are unmistakenly in the blues, but he has also been influenced by other musical directions. His extensive roots repertoire is the tour guide for a musical journey that takes the listener on a trip through a mix of blues, roots rock, Americana, Africana, world music, folk, roots and gospel. As a songwriter Theessink has succeeded in building bridges to the essential timeless by addressing issues which reflect the reality of the here and now.

With his sonorous baritone voice and unmistakable guitar work, Hans, in the words of one fresh admirer, "is chewing gum for the ears." Theessink is more or less constantly "on tour" – a modern day troubadour and entertainer who keeps on spellbinding audiences around the globe.