Iceland Review Playlist | Icelandic Music Awards

2026-03-21 - 21:02

Spring marks a time when the Icelandic music industry celebrates its achievements. The annual Icelandic Music Awards took place earlier this week at the country’s premier concert venue, Harpa. Launched in 1993 with a single rock award, the prize was initially presented by the Union of Icelandic Musicians. Over time, it evolved into a multi-category event that highlights the rich diversity of the Icelandic music scene. The awards now cover a wide range of musical genres, from contemporary classical and jazz to hip-hop, experimental electronica, and other categories. Highlights of the Ceremony Photo: Ari Magg With a total of 30 awards presented, the award ceremony spotlighted the expansive breadth of the Icelandic musical community. The name of jazz pop singer-songwriter Laufey was mentioned more often than others. Apart from becoming the 2026 most popular artist (according to a public vote), the musician won in three main categories, Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Performer of the Year. Rapper Birnir, the band Of Monsters and Men, jazz musician Tómas Jónsson, and the duo Páll Óskar and Benni Hemm Hemm each received two awards. On this spring equinox, we’ve curated a playlist featuring the award winners as well as some of the compositions of the year.