Tokio Hotel

**Tokio Hotel** is a German pop-rock  band. The band began in 2001, and were first called **Devilish**. The people who are in the band all came from Magdeburg in Germany. The youngest, the Kaulitz twins, were born two months before the Berlin Wall was taken down.

Gustav Schäfer is married to Linda Schäfer, they met in 2009.

Tom Kaulitz married Heidi Klum in 2019.

George Listing is now engaged.

## History

Tokio Hotel was started by singer Bill Kaulitz and guitarist Tom Kaulitz, who are identical twin brothers. Their step father owns a music school named "Rock School". The drummer is Gustav Schäfer and bass-guitarist is Georg Listing. The four met in 2001 after a live show in a Magdeburg club, where Listing and Schäfer, who knew each other from music school, watched from the audience while Bill and Tom Kaulitz played on the stage. Using the name "Devilish", the band began playing in talent shows and small concerts. After Bill Kaulitz took part in a children's Star Search in 2003 at age thirteen (which he lost in the quarter-final), he was discovered by music producer Peter Hoffmann. Devilish changed their name to "Tokio Hotel": "Tokio", the German spelling of the Japanese city Tokyo, because they love the city, and "Hotel" because of their constant touring and living in hotels. Soon after Sony BMG took them under contract, Hoffmann hired David Jost and Pat Benzner into the team. They guided the teens on songwriting and instrument playing. Most of the songs of the first album were written by Hoffmann, Jost, Benzer, and Bill Kaulitz (including the singles "Scream" and "Rescue me" which were completely written by them). Only the single "Unendlichkeit" was written completely by Tokio Hotel themselves. However, shortly before release of their first album, Sony ended their contract. In 2005, Universal Music Group took Tokio Hotel under contract and developed a marketing plan. The band has now become one of the biggest acts from Germany.

## Band members

- Bill Kaulitz – lead vocals
- Tom Kaulitz – guitars, keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals
- Georg Listing – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
- Gustav Schäfer – drums, percussion, backing vocals

## Discography

**Studio albums**
- _Schrei_ (2005)
- _Zimmer 483_ (2007)
- _Scream_ (2007)
- _Humanoid_ (2009)
- _Kings of Suburbia_ (2014)
- _Dream Machine_ (2017)
- _2001_ (2022)

## Videography

**Music videos**
- List of Tokio Hotel music videos

**Live albums**
- _Schrei – Live_ (Universal, 2006)
- _Zimmer 483 – Live in Europe_ (Universal, 2007)
- _Humanoid City Live_ (Cherry Tree, 2010)

**Documentaries**
- _Leb' die Sekunde – Behind the Scenes_ (2005)
- _Tokio Hotel TV – Caught on Camera_ (2008)
- _Tokio Hotel – Hinter Die Welt_ (2017)
- Netflix Exclusive: Kaulitz & Kaulitz (2024)

## Concert tours

|Name|Time|
| --- | --- |
|Schrei Tour|2005–2006|
|Zimmer 483 Tour|2007|
|1000 Hotels World Tour|2008|
|Welcome to Humanoid City Tour|2010–2011|
|Feel It All World Tour|2015|
|Dream Machine Tour|2017–2018|
|Melancholic Paradise Tour|2019–2020|
|Beyond the World Tour|2023–2024|
|The Tour 2025|2025|

## Awards

Since the release of the single "Durch den Monsun" in 2005, Tokio Hotel have gone on to win 110 awards in various categories and countries.

- 2005
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Best Newcomer|Comet Awards (Germany)|6 October|
|Super Comet|Comet Awards (Germany)|6 October|
|Best Newcomer|Eins Live Krone|24 November|
|Best Pop National Act|Bambi Awards|1 December|
|Best Single|Golden Penguin (Austria)||
|Best Pop|Golden Penguin (Austria)||
|Rock Band 2005|Golden Penguin (Austria)||

- 2006
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Album of the year|Golden Penguin (Austria)|8 February|
|Band of the year|Golden Penguin (Austria)|8 February|
|Song of the year – 'Der Letzte Tag'|Golden Penguin (Austria)|8 February|
|Best Newcomer|Golden Penguin (Austria)|8 February|
|Ausverkaufte Tourhalle|Sold-out-Award of Königpilsener Arena|11 March|
|Best Newcomer|ECHO Awards (Germany)|12 March|
|Best Newcomer|Steiger Awards|25 March|
|Pop National|Radio Regenbogen (Germany)|31 March|
|SuperBand Rock – Golden Otto|Bravo Otto|6 May|
|Music Award|Bild OSGAR|22 May|
|Best Newcomer International|Popcorn Awards (Hungary)|26 May|
|Best Newcomer|Bravo Otto (Hungary)|24 June|
|Best International Band|Bravo Otto (Hungary)|24 June|
|Best Newcomer Band|Popkomm Bavarian Music Lion|21 September|
|Best German Pop Band|Goldene Stimmgabel|24 September|
|Best Selling German Artist|World Music Awards|15 November|
|Best Pop National Act|Bambi Awards|30 November|
|Best Live Act|Eins Live Krone|7 December|
|Best Rock band|MTV France||

- 2007
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Single of the Year – Durch Den Monsun|Golden Penguin||
|Best Selling German Act – Album Schrei|European Border Breakers Award|21 January|
|European Border Breakers Award|NRJ Awards|21 January|
|Rock Award|BZ-Kulturpreis|23 January|
|Best Video National|ECHO Awards (Germany)|25 March|
|SuperBand Rock – Golden otto|Bravo Otto||
|Digital prize|Festivalbar (Italy)|7 September|
|Most Successful Group Rock International|Goldene Stimmgabel|22 September|
|Most Successful Popgroup International|Goldene Stimmgabel|3 October|
|Best Album|TMF Awards (Belgium)|13 October|
|Best Video|TMF Awards (Belgium)|13 October|
|Best New Artist|TMF Awards (Belgium)|13 October|
|Best Pop|TMF Awards (Belgium)|13 October|
|Best International Act|MTV Europe Music Awards (Germany)|1 November|
|Best band of the Year|MTV Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award (Italy)|1 December|

- 2008
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Band of the Year 2007|Golden Penguin (Austria)|January|
|Best International Band|Rockbjörnen Awards (Sweden)|24 January|
|Best Music National|Goldene Kamera (Germany)|6 February|
|Best Music Video|Echo Awards (Germany)|15 February|
|Best International Artist|Emma Gala Awards (Finland)|8 March|
|Best International Group|Disney Channel Kids Award (Italy)|28 March|
|Best Concert|Hitkrant (Netherlands)|May 2008|
|Best Mood Song – Monsoon|Hitkrant (Netherlands)|May 2008|
|Song that Stays in your Head – Monsoon|Hitkrant (Netherlands)|May 2008|
|Superband Rock – Silver Otto|Bravo Otto|3 May|
|Best Band|MTV Italian Music Awards|17 May|
|Best Number 1 of the Year with Monsoon|MTV TRL Awards|17 May|
|Best Band|Comet Awards (Germany)|23 May|
|Best Video – An Deiner Seite|Comet Awards (Germany)|23 May|
|Best Live Act|Comet Awards (Germany)|23 May|
|Super Comet|Comet Awards (Germany)|23 May|
|Best New Artist|MTV Video Music Awards (USA)|7 September|
|Fan Choice Best Entrance|MTV Video Music Awards (USA)|7 September|
|Best Male Artist International (Bill Kaulitz)|TMF Awards (Belgium)|11 October|
|Best Video International – Don't Jump|TMF Awards (Belgium)|11 October|
|Song of the Year|MTV Video Music Awards Latin America|16 October|
|Best Fanclub-Venezuela|MTV Video Music Awards Latin America|16 October|
|Best New Artist-International|MTV Video Music Awards Latin America|16 October|
|Best Ringtone|MTV Video Music Awards Latin America|16 October|
|Headliner|MTV Europe Music Awards (England)|6 November|
|Best Selling DVD: ZImmer 483 – Live in Europe|Rekord (Russia)|2 December|

- 2009
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|SuperBand – Golden Otto|Bravo Otto (Germany)|12 May|
|Best TRL Artist of the Year|MTV Italian Music Awards|16 May|
|Best Online Star|Comet Awards (Germany)|29 May|
|Export Hit of Germany|Bavarian Music Lion|17 September|
|International Award (2009)|Audi Generation Award (Germany)|18 October|
|Best Rock Video (2009)|Music New Video Music Award|September 2009|
|Best Group|MTV Europe Music Awards (Germany)|5 November|
|Best International Rock Band|Telehit Awards (Mexico)|12 November|

- 2010
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Band of the Year|Golden Penguin (Austria)|29 January|
|Album of the Year|Golden Penguin (Austria)|29 January|
|Band of the Year|Bravoora Awards (Poland)|1 February|
|Best International Artist|Emma Gala Awards (Finland)|4 February|
|Walk of Fame|König-Pilsener Arena (Germany)|26 February|
|Best International Band|Radio Regenbogen Awards (Germany)|19 March|
|Favorite Music Star|Kids Choice Awards (Germany)|10 April|
|Best Live Act|Comet Awards (Germany)|21 May|
|Foreign Song of the Year – World Behind My Wall|Rockbjörnen Award (Sweden)|1 September|
|Concert of the Year|Rockbjörnen Award (Sweden)|1 September|
|Best World Stage Performance|MTV Europe Music Awards (Spain)|7 November|
|Best Group Video|Music New Video Music Award|December 2010|
|Best Band National|CMA Awards (Germany)|12 December|
|Best Single National – World Behind My Wall|CMA Awards (Germany)|12 December|

- 2011
|Category|Award|Date||
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Band of the Year|Bravoora Awards (Poland)|March||
|Star of the 20th Anniversary|Bravoora Awards (Poland)|Bravoora Awards (Poland)|March|
|Best Fan Army (Fan Army FTW)|MTV O Music Awards (USA)|28 April||
|Best Rock Video|MTV Video Music Awards Japan|2 July||
|Best Fan Club: Aliens|2Musica Awards|17 August||
|Fashion Icon: Bill Kaulitz|2Musica Awards|17 August||
|Best Videography|2Musica Awards|17 August||
|Best Artist in a Versus|2Musica Awards|17 August||
|Best Rock Artist|2Musica Awards|17 August||
|Best Fan Army (Fan Army FTW)|MTV O Music Awards (USA)|31 October||
|Best Peta2 Ad|Peta2 6th Annual Libby Awards|December||

- 2012
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Super-Band Rock (bronze)|BRAVO OTTO (Germany)|21 March|
|Mister Winter 2012: Bill Kaulitz|Star Planete Awards 2012 (France)|25 March|
|Musical March Madness Champions|MTV Musical March Madness 2012|5 April|
|Hottest Rocker Boys|Q102's Online Competitions|27 May|
|Best Fan Club: Aliens|2Musica Awards|25 June|
|Best Artist in a Versus|2Musica Awards|25 June|
|Best Fan Army (Fan Army FTW)|MTV O Music Awards (USA)|28 June|
|Battle of the Boy Bands|MTV Latin America Awards (Mexico)|16 August|

- 2013
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Best Fan Army (Fan Army FTW)|MTV O Music Awards (USA)|19 June|
|Biggest Fans|MTV Europe Music Awards|10 November|

- 2014
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Album of the Year: "Kings of Suburbia"|Music Daily Awards (Hungary)|28 December|
|Video of the Year: "Love Who Loves You Back"|Music Daily Awards (Hungary)|28 December|
|Band of the Year|Music Daily Awards (Hungary)|28 December|
|Best Fan Club: Aliens|Music Daily Awards (Hungary)|28 December|
|Best International Band|Love Radio Awards (Russia)|29 December|
|OMG of the Year – Tokio Hotel's comeback|Love Radio Awards (Russia)|29 December|

- 2015
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Video of the Year: "Love Who Loves You Back"|MTV Awards (Spain)|9 January|
|Musical March Madness Champions|MTV Musical March Madness 2015|3 April|
|Best Artist from the World|MTV Awards (Italy)|14 June|

- 2018
|Category|Award|Date|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Best Cinematography: "Boy Don't Cry" (nominated)|Berlin Music Video Awards|28 May|

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Tokio Hotel
- **image**: Tokiohotel.jpg
- **image upright**: 1.2
- **caption**: Tokio Hotel in 2009. L-R: Gustav Schäfer, Tom Kaulitz, Bill Kaulitz, and Georg Listing
- **origin**: Magdeburg, Germany
- **years active**: 2001–present
- **discography**: Tokio Hotel discography
- **label**: * Universal Music Group, Universal (2005–2016)
* Polydor (2014–2016)
* De-Code Ltd. (2014–2017)
* Starwatch Music, Starwatch (2017–2020)
* Sony Music, Sony (2020–present)
* Epic Records, Epic (2020–present)
- **current members**: * Bill Kaulitz
* Tom Kaulitz
* Georg Listing
* Gustav Schäfer