2003 Patti Smith won the Tenco award. The other winner that year was Eric Anderson. This is a long time Italian award named after Italian Folk Singer Luigi Tenco, who shot himself during a pop-music competition in this theatre out of stress. His friends have created the Club Tenco and the Tenco award, which focuses on artists on the fringes of show business.
Before Patti Smith award winners were Leonard Cohen, Jackson Browne, Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Laurie Anderson and Donovan.
Patti Smith wrote a poem the day before the show ("The Clouds of Sanremo") that was published a year later in an italian anthology.
Songs broadcast :
Dancing Barefoot (with Oliver Ray), People Have The Power (with Oliver Ray), The Clouds of Sanremo (poem)