2026 Indie Awards nominees announced!
The Indie Awards will be presented on Thursday 5 February at an invitation-only event at Tiivistämö, Helsinki. During the evening, all the artists in the Newcomer of the Year category – Kukkatalo, fairy, louna0nline, Ullalintulampi and Jaanat – will perform at Tiivistämö.
“This year it feels like indie music is in a state of flux. Indie music has always been independent, creative and shaking up the unwritten rules of music. Now indie music is even more daring than before. It’s staggering to see how many of the albums we’re listening to tonight can’t just be casually dribbled down the genres: this is rock, this is rap and that’s punk. Many of these albums are countless things at the same time and they rip away as if to show that YOU can be free too,” says jury member Aki Nuopponen.
The nominees and winners have been selected by a jury assembled by the IndieCon board, which this year included Anne Lainto (YleX), Ella Ossi (YleX), Rosanna Mantila (Radio Helsinki), Raine Pulkkinen (Lutakko, Jelmu ry), Eero Jääskeläinen (Live Nation, Allas Live), Lani Nordlund (Kulttuuritalo, KULT-klubi), Panu Hattunen (Ilosaarirock, Kerubi), Oskari Onninen (Uusi Juttu, freelancer), Mikko Merimaa (Tavastia), Johan Lindroos (Yle Suomi), Aki Nuopponen (Inferno, Soundi, Levykauppa ÄX), Sini Tiainen (Qobuz), Jussi Mäntysaari (Nelonen media), Lotta Savolainen (Radio Helsinki, Music X Media), Aino-Maria Paasivirta (Provinssi, Fullsteam Agency) and Aku Toivonen (Musiikintekijät).
The Jazz/Soul & Ethno/Folk Music nominees and winners were selected by Radio Finland journalist Laura Korhonen and Maria Silvennoinen, Executive Director of the Finnish Jazz Union. The nominees and winners in the Classical Music category were selected by Kaisa Rönkkö, Director of TAIKE. New categories include Songwriter of the Year (in collaboration with Teosto) and the Best of the Year public vote. The public voting will start after the turn of the year.
The seventh Indie Awards will also honour the most streamed song of the year, Indie Friend of the Year, selected by the IndieCo board, Export Technique of the Year by Music Finland and Radio Helsinki will share its own honourable mention. This year’s Indie Awards partners are Merlin, Gramex, Teosto, Qobuz, Tiketti, Lammaskallion Audio, Radio Helsinki and Music Finland.
The Indie Awards celebrate independent authors and publishers. Indie publishing is defined as publishing where less than 50% of ownership is held by a major. Indie labels are companies that are majority-owned by an independent.
The Indie Awards 2026 nominees are:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Aili Järvelä – VUORI (Aili Järvelä)
Lala Salama – Miltähän me näytettäis yhdessä (All That Plazz)
good boys – Hittaa (Dödstil)
Orvokki – Malus (Luova Records)
OLGA – SAINT OLGA (PME Records)
ALTERNATIVE OF THE YEAR
Modem (Modem Age Records)
Asla Jo (Kaiku Entertainment)
Orvokki (Luova Records)
Hopeasiivet (Nemolevyt)
Figaro (Lördag)
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Aili Järvelä (Aili Järvelä)
Lauri Haav (PME Records)
Ares (Rähinä Records & Kaiku Entertainment)
OLGA (PME Records)
Bizi (PME Records)
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Rebekka Holi
Jenni Kinnunen (Tinyhawk & Bizzarro)
Axel Ehnström & Kaisa Korhonen (Pilven Piirtäjät)
Emmi Haapaniemi (Asla Jo)
Joonas Lahtinen (Figaro)
ETNO OF THE YEAR
Pauanne (Nordic Notes)
Hildá Länsman & Tuomas Norvio (Fierran)
Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L (Svart Records)
Värttinä (Rockadillo Records)
Meriheini Luoto (Eclipse Music)
HIPHOP OF THE YEAR
good boys (Dödstil)
Bizi (PME Records)
Ares (Rähinä Records & Kaiku Entertainment)
keiju (keiju)
D1 DANI (D1VARI)
ISKELMÄ OF THE YEAR
Komiat (Komiat)
Vahtera (Playground Music)
Mary Ann Hawkins (Svart Records)
Mariska (Kaiku Entertainment)
Anna Kokkonen (Anna Kokkonen)
JAZZ OF THE YEAR
Niillas Holmberg & Pauli Lyytinen (Eclipse Music)
Kadi Vija (Mustik Motel Music)
Harri Kuusijärvi (Flame Jazz)
Mikko Pettinen Why Not (Eclipse Music)
Eero Savela (Mustik Motel Music)
SONG OF THE YEAR
Asla Jo – Pussailen tyttöjen kaa (Kaiku Recordings)
louna0nline – Tulva (louna0nline)
OLGA – NRO1 BÄMÄ (PME Records)
Ares – Menestys on paras tapa kostaa (Rähinä Records & Kaiku Entertainment Oy)
Modem – Ave Maria (Modem Age Records)
CLASSIC OF THE YEAR
Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon with Lawrence Power (Ondine)
Aki Yli-Salomäki & Auli Särkiö (Eclipse Music)
Tea Polso (Alba Records)
Tuija Hakkila (Ondine)
METAL OF THE YEAR
Hexvessel (Prophecy Productions)
Havukruunu (Svart Records)
LUNA KILLS (Sharp Tone Records)
Dome Runner (Svart Records)
Balance Breach (Out Of Line Music)
POP OF THE YEAR
OLGA (PME Records)
Juhlat (Juhlat)
Rebekka Holi (Booa Music)
Vimma (Lördag)
Saarisalo (Saarisalo)
PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR
Kukkatalo (Lördag)
louna0nline (louna0nline)
keiju (keiju)
Ullalintulampi (Panama-levyt)
Jaanat (Stupido Records)
ROCK OF THE YEAR
Lala Salama (All That Plazz)
Tinyhawk & Bizzarro (Humu Records)
Ursus Factory (Lördag)
Sur-Rur (Sur-rur)
Aino ja Hajonneet (Stupido Records)
BAND OF THE YEAR
Modem (Modem Age Records)
good boys (Dödstil)
Komiat (Komiat)
Nössö Nova (Soit Se Silti)
Havukruunu (Svart Records)
