Music Moves Europe Awards 2026: Meet the candidates and vote for your favourite!

16 October - The candidates for the Music Moves Europe Awards 2026 were announced at the SoAlive Music Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria:

“These 15 nominees represent the exceptional artists shaping the future of our continent’s music. Congratulations! I’m proud that our Creative Europe programme supports initiatives like this, giving talented artists the visibility and recognition they deserve”  – said Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport during the announcement event.

Music enthusiasts are now invited to vote HERE for the winner of the Public Choice Award, while an international jury will select five artists to win the Music Moves Europe (MME) Awards and one special artist to win the Grand Jury Prize.

Meet the nominees 

Anna Lille, Norway - Known for her sharp lyricism, captivating melodies, and remarkable vocals, she has already made a mark with two well-received EPs, and several singles dominating Norway’s radio charts and German college radio. 

 

Camille Yembe, Belgium - She knows the power of words and has an ear attuned to every musical nuance. On her debut EP Plastique, her voice is melodic, sung and sometimes spoken-word. Her productions are haunting yet elegant, pulsing with rhythm.

Carpetman, Ukraine - Carpetman is a mysterious young singer, hidden behind the mask of a carpet. Inspired by artists such as Kaleo, Hippie Sabotage, Kygo, Elderbrook and Jeremy Soul, the Carpetman project was initiated in the middle of 2023.

Della, Cyprus - Della’s music oozes with emotion, and isn’t easy to pin down. It lives somewhere between alt-rock and dark dreamy pop. Her lyrics are known for their raw, honest and at times self-deprecating nature. 

Ditter, France - A trio making music that strikes as much at the body as it does at the heart. Lively, organic music full of hymns, with a love for pop, a hint of punk, combined with a touch of cynicism, and a good sense of humour.

Fine, Denmark - A Copenhagen-based singer-songwriter and producer whose music blends samples and acoustic and electric instruments into a groovy and ethereal crossover sound, both familiar and dreamlike. 

Florence Road, Ireland - The band, named after the street their school is on, is very proud to be part of Irish culture, and the vibrant Dublin scene. They usually jam their songs together, shapeshifting tantalisingly from rock subgenre to subgenre. 

Glazyhaze, Italy - Venice-based Glazyhaze blends shoegaze and alternative rock with dream pop intimacy and Britpop nostalgia, shifting between dark atmospheres and ethereal soundscapes.

 

Lia Kali, Spain - In 2023, Barcelona-based singer Lia Kali turned the Spanish music scene upside down with a debut album full of songs that act as a personal catharsis to heal the stumbles, sorrows, and fears of her daily life. 

 

 

Lunikk, Bulgaria - An experimental dark electro-pop duo from Bulgaria, formed by Kristina Yordanova and Denny Popov.  Their name, Lunikk, is inspired by the Bulgarian word for ‘Moon’. 

 

Melina, Greece - Inspired by her Greek origins, Melina Vlachos writes and composes melodies, which she sings while playing the oud and dancing, accompanied by double bass and oriental percussion. 

Might Delete Later, Latvia - A Latvian/Dutch artist turning old-school voicemail into a living, breathing part of dance music, blending her Lana Del Rey-esque vocals with produced dance tracks akin to Fred Again.

Ray Lozano, Germany - She creates music like a rare fragrance: smooth and warm, with notes that linger long. Each layer is crafted with care, blending intimacy and expansiveness into a lo-fi future soul touched by tenderness and quiet strength. 

Sarah Julia, Netherlands - Bound by sisterhood and defined by piercing vulnerability, Sarah Julia craft harmony-laden indie folk that transforms love, loss, and longing into something quietly luminous. 

Sofie Royer, Austria - An Austrian-Iranian multi-instrumentalist and producer with Californian roots, clssically trained in composition and concert violin at the Conservatory of Vienna.