The nominees for this year's Estonian Music Awards were selected by a 156-member jury, according to 17 different categories. Hot on the heels of SADU and nublu & Vaiko Eplik, Alonette, An-Marlen, Duo Ruut, mariin k. and Tommy Cash each picked up three nominations.

"Hard-working Estonian artists are likely looking back on the past year with great satisfaction. As a fan of Estonian music, it's great to see local artists conquering ever bigger stages and dominating the streaming and radio charts," Vaido Pannel, program director at Raadio Sky Plus.

"Today's Estonian songwriters are doing well – the opportunity to work with virtually no boundaries is really beneficial for creativity," Pannel added.

The full list of nominees for the 2026 Estonian Music Awards is as follows:

Debut album of the year

mariin k. "Rose skin"
Meelik "[Tööpealkiri]"
SADU "Probleemid paradiisis"

Alternative /indie-album of the year   

Eik "Lõputu festival"
mariin k. "Rose skin"
Night Tapes "Portals//polarities"

Songwriter's album of the year

Alonette "Compass"
Siiri Sisask and Rühm "Kiri Kiri Hai"
Sten-Olle "Kehv keha"

Electronic music artist of the year

Luurel Varas "Traksi Bounce"
Neuronphase "My Dear"
Roma Vjazemski "Handlebar"

Ethno / folk album of the year

Duo Ruut "Ilmateade"
SADU "Probleemid paradiisis"
Väikeste Lõõtspillide Ühing "Kõrge mere pääl"

Hip-hop / rap artist of the year   

Kirot, Niklāvz "Balti instituut"
Margiiela "ilus päev surra"
Reket "Leekrüübe"

Soul /funk/ R'n'B artist of the year

Anett
Lexsoul Dancemachine "Lex Is More"
Yasmyn "Intuition"

Jazz album of the year

Joel Remmel Trio & Jukka Eskola "Peegeldused"
Mingo Rajandi "Werewolves"
Tõnu Tubli Trio "Wiljandi Western"

Metal album of the year

Intrepid "Juxtaposition"
Pridian "Venetian Dark"
Taak "Surmalaev"

Rock album of the year

Pantokraator "Déjà vu"
Shelton San "Wilderness Follows"
The Boondocks "Silver Buzz"

Pop artist of the year

An-Marlen
nublu & Vaiko Eplik
Tommy Cash

Female artist of the year

Alonette "Compass"
An-Marlen
Liis Lemsalu "À la carte"

Male artist of the year

Eik "Lõputu festival"
Säm
Tommy Cash

Band of the year

Duo Ruut "Ilmateade"
nublu & Vaiko Eplik
SADU "Probleemid paradiisis"

Song of the year

An-Marlen "Külm"
nublu & Vaiko Eplik "Lausu tõtt"
nublu & Vaiko Eplik "Tipus ulub tuul"
SADU "Igavene"
Tommy Cash "Espresso Macchiato"

Album of the year

Alonette "Compass"
Duo Ruut "Ilmateade"
mariin k. "Rose skin"
Night Tapes "portals//polarities"
SADU "Probleemid paradiisis"

The nominees for Classical Album of the Year are taken from four classical music genre categories:

Estonian Composition Album of the Year

Erkki-Sven Tüür "Aeris"
Performers: German Hornsound, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Olari Elts

Solo or Chamber Music Album of the Year

Eduard Tubin "Chamber Music"
Performers: Triin Ruubel, Xandi van Dijk, Theodor Sink, Kärt Ruubel

Choir Music Album of the Year

Rudolf Tobias "Joonas"
Performers: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Conductor: Tõnu Kaljuste.
Soloists: Mirjam Mesak, Kai Rüütel-Pajula, Mati Turi, Taavi Tampuu, Raiko Raalik

Orchestral or Stage Music Album of the Year

Erkki-Sven Tüür "Aeris"
Performers: German Hornsound, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Olari Elts

Artists whose albums, songs and music videos were released between December 1, 2024, and November 30, 2025, and who meet the entry requirements were eligible to be nominated for this year's Estonian Music Awards.

The winners of the 2026 Estonian Music Awards will be announced on January 29 during a ceremony at the Unibet Arena in Tallinn.

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