Register your audiovisual work: Applications for the 2026 Music Insight of the Year award are now open!
The award is presented by the AV Music service, which Teosto and Gramex established in 2023 to help creators of audiovisual productions acquire music rights.
The aim of the Music Insight of the Year award is to highlight the use of music in audiovisual works and to remind audiences of the importance of music as part of storytelling. Entries are welcomed from a wide range of genres, including short or feature-length films, TV series, children’s programmes, animations and other television productions.
“Music plays a major role in conveying emotions and atmosphere in stories. It’s great that the Music Insight of the Year highlights those films and series where real effort has gone into music selection, where special attention has been paid to it, and where it adds value to the work as a whole. So don’t hesitate to submit productions to the competition!”, encourages APFI Managing Director Laura Kuulasmaa.
The music in the submitted work may be commissioned music, recorded music, or a combination of both – domestic or international.
Last year, the award was won by the documentary film ‘Aurinko laskee Lemmenjoella’ (production: Danish Bear Productions Oy).
“Music is an essential part of the winning work’s narrative and expression of its theme. It functions both as a concrete element and as a profound metaphor that encapsulates a whole cultural turning point. The music does not merely support the story, but reveals its layers – like treasures unearthed from the depths of history,” the jury described the 2025 winner.
The recipient of the award is selected from audiovisual works proposed by domestic production companies and producers. Eligible works must have been released between June 2025 and May 2026. The winner will receive a €1,000 music experience gift card, which can be used, for example, for a gig or concert night for the production team.
The award is decided by an independent jury that includes Creative & Strategic Partner Emmy Puustjärvi, Professor of Musicology at the University of Helsinki Susanna Välimäki, and game and media composer Jukio Kallio. The jury is chaired by non-fiction author and journalist Jussi Ahlroth, with Eveliina Pitkänen, Licensing Manager at the AV Music service and NCB, acting as secretary.
The award will be presented at the evening celebration of the Screen Helsinki event on 28 August 2026. Screen Helsinki is a professional event for the audiovisual industry, organised by Audiovisual Producers Finland – APFI ry, the association representing Finnish film and TV content producers.
For more information:
Eveliina Pitkänen
Licencing manager
AV Music By Gramex & Teosto
tel. 050 3811 748
epi@ncb.dk
Laura Kuulasmaa
Managing Director
Audiovisual Producers Finland – APFI
tel. 050 3450 056
laura.kuulasmaa@apfi.fi
