The 18th edition of the Independent Music Awards took place this Wednesday night in a gala held for the first time at the Gran Teatro de Córdoba and presented by Tamara García and Masi Rodríguez. Carlos Ares and Valeria Castro started as the favorites, with 6 nominations each, and they also ended up being the most awarded of the night.
Carlos Ares has been recognized with the awards for Album of the Year (‘La boca del lobo’), Best Pop Album and Best Live Performance, the latter for his latest performance at the legendary Plaza del Trigo in Sonorama Ribera. Castro, on the other hand, also took home three statuettes: Best Artist, Best Roots Music Album (‘The Body After All’) and Song of the Year (‘It’s Got to Be More Easy’).
Quique González has also been one of the most awarded artists, winning the MIN Award for Best Rock Album (‘1973’) and Best Original Lyrics for ‘Terciopelo Azul’. Leeches del Guadiana have been named Best Emerging Artist and the MERLIN Award for Best International Artist has gone to Pulp. Ana Curra, a member of Pálisis Permanente and a reference in the Madrid scene, has been awarded the Mario Pacheco Honor Award.
Additionally, Rocío Márquez and Pedro Rojas Ogáyar (Best Flamenco Album) complete the list of winners; Lia Kali (Best Music Video); Juicy Bae (Best Urban Music Recording); GAZZI (Best Electronic Recording); Júlia Colom (Best Album in Catalan); Merina Gris (Best Album in Basque); De Ninghures (Best Album in Galician); Baiuca e Izaro (Best Musical Production); Rufus F. Firefly (Best Graphic Design); Pablo Martín Caminero and David Carpio (Best Jazz Album); and Concerto 1700 (Best Classical Album).
ONERPM AWARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“Toast”, from Cala Vento
“The Mouth of the Wolf”, by Carlos Ares – Winner
“9:30 PM”, by Queralt Lahoz
“201”, by Repion
“The body after all”, by Valeria Castro
RADIO 3 PRIZE SONG OF THE YEAR
‘Dog Days’, by Carlos Ares
‘X’, by Repion
‘Song of Peace’, by Rufus T. Firefly
‘Revolá’, by Leeches del Guadiana
‘It has to be easier’, by Valeria Castro – Winner
AIE AWARD BEST ARTIST
Kiko Veneno
Repion
Rufus T. Firefly
Valeria Castro – Winner
Zahara
MIN 2026 AWARD BEST EMERGING ARTIST
Lia Kali
Carlos Ares
Guadiana Leeches – Winner
Gray Merino
Queralt Lahoz
MIN 2026 PRIZE BEST VIDEO CLIP
Duel for ‘What it will be like to live in the country’, by Depresion Sonora
Ismael de la Trinidad for ‘Renacer’, by Lia Kali – Winner
Fran Granada for ‘Full lace and the tuck’, by Samantha Hudson
Pablo Hoyos for ‘Revolá’, by Sanguijuelas del Guadiana
Irene Baqué for ‘It has to be easier’, by Valeria Castro
INGRESSE AWARD BEST DIRECT
Carlos Ares Sonorama Ribera Plaza del Trigo, by Carlos Ares – Winner
Repion – 201 at the Barceló Theater, Repion
Tour with Headphones: All Good Things by Rufus T. Firefly
Verbena in vein, from Sanguijuelas del Guadiana
Slow Tenderness Tour, by Zahara
AGEDI AWARD BEST POP ALBUM
“Tell me where we are”, by Vera Fauna
“Slow tenderness”, by Zahara
“The Mouth of the Wolf”, by Carlos Ares – Winner
“Zuloa”, by Merina Gris
“Don’t let go of the ephemeral”, by Pumuky
MIN AWARD 2026 BEST ROCK ALBUM
“Dogs don’t understand the internet (…and I don’t understand feelings)”, by Depresion Sonora
“III”, by Grande Amore
«1973», by Quique González – Winner
“201”, by Repion
“All Good Things” by Rufus T. Firefly
MIN AWARD 2026 BEST ROOT MUSIC ALBUM
“Icarus”, by Dulzaro
“Consistency”, by El Nido
“The body after all”, by Valeria Castro – Winner
“Judit Neddermann & Pau Figueres”, by Judit Neddermann & Pau Figueres
“Robina”, by La Maria
SGAE FOUNDATION AWARD FOR BEST JAZZ ALBUM
“The Trio”, by Alex Conde
“Mutatis Mutandis”, by EME EME Project
“Lights and Shadows”, by Ivan Melon Lewis
“Mestura”, by María Toro
“Al Cante”, by Pablo Martín Caminero and David Carpio – Winner
MIN 2026 AWARD BEST FLAMENCO ALBUM
“Let’s adventure in life”, by José de los Camarones
“Kiko Veneno in the Carbonería”, by Kiko Veneno
“Pura vida”, by Laura Vital
“Vertical Anthem”, by Rocío Márquez and Pedro Rojas Ogáyar
“Pureza Street” by Rubio de Pruna
MIN 2026 AWARD BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM
«Spain on Fire», by Accademia del Piacere with Quiteria Muñoz
“The chants of muses”, by Anna Urpina
“Gaetano Brunetti: String Quartets Op.3”, from Concerto 1700 – Winner
“Mozart & Schubert”, by Josep Colom and Javier Laso
“Mozart: The horn concertos”, by La Real Cámara with Javier Bonet and Emilio Moreno
MIN 2026 PRIZE BEST URBAN MUSIC RECORDING
“Totosaki”, by Euskoprincess & Mattin
“The Secret”, by Juicy Bae – Winner
“Kaelis” by Lia Kali
“Miss Understood” by l0rna
“9:30 PM”, by Queralt Lahoz
MIN AWARD 2026 BEST ELECTRONICS RECORDING
“Neu om”, by Amanda Mur
«Xorieri», by Baiuca & Izaro with Oreka Tx
“Halo”, by Bruma
«2025», by GAZZI – Winner
“Free baby” by Restinga
MIN 2026 PRIZE BEST ALBUM IN CATALAN
«The first song of the matí», by Alosa
“Vigilia”, by Anna Andreu
“Eril Eril Eril”, from El Petit de Cal Eril
“Paradís”, by Júlia Colom – Winner
“Katana” by Maria Hein
MIN 2026 PRIZE BEST ALBUM IN BASQUE
“Kabakriba” by EZEZEZ
«Zuloa», by Merina Gris – Winner
“Miruenea”, by Mirua
“Zerrautsa”, by Olaia Iniziarte
“Lurra ikutu barik”, by Ruper Ordorika
MIN 2026 AWARD BEST ALBUM IN GALLEGO
“Lovismo”, from A banda da loba
“Feira”, by De Ninghures – Winner
“Alvela”, by Faia Díaz Novo
“III”, by Grande Amore
“Mestura”, by María Toro
MERLIN PRIZE BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Silvana Estrada
Hayley Williams
Genius Perfume
Pulp – Winner
Big Thief
SAE MADRID AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION
Alejandro Guillán for “Xorieri”, by Baiuca & Izaro with Oreka Tx – Winner
Carlos Ares for “The Wolf’s Mouth”, by Carlos Ares
Sergio Salvi and Sandra Delaporte for “Rendición”, by Delaporte
Jordi Matas for “Bakan (II)”, by Gorka Urbizu
Carles Campi Campón for “The body after all”,
by Valeria Castro
MARILIANS PRIZE BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN
Bandiz Studio for “Dogs don’t understand the Internet (…and I don’t understand feelings)”, by Depresion Sonora
Julia Martin-Maestro for “All Good Things” by Rufus T. Firefly – Winner
Raúl Rodríguez Orgaz and Jorge de Cruz for “The only being without talent”,
by Stivijoes
Emilio Lorente, Guillermo Guerrero and Zahara for “Lento ternura”,
by Zahara
Guillermo Arias for “Mañana y siempre”, by Nadadora
MIN 2026 PRIZE BEST ORIGINAL LETTER
‘Everything is going well for me’, by Albert Pla and Kase.O
‘What it will be like to live in the country’, by Depression Sonora
‘It could have been’, from La Bien Querida
‘The Astonishers’, by Nacho Vegas
‘Blue Velvet’, by Quique González – Winner
PUBLIC AWARD
‘Letters’, by Cas de Rojas
‘The words’, from Siloé
‘Oxytocin’, by Cepeda
‘Incendio’, by Brock Ansiolitiko – Winner
‘Links – Anj’hara’, by Olvido Lanza
MARIO PACHECO HONOR AWARD
Ana Curra
