The Anchor - Reeperbahn Festival International Music Award was established in 2016 to recognise the most promising up-and-coming musicians. Six international nominees from different genres, selected by a board of key players from the international music industry, apply for the competition and aim to convince not only the audience but also the prominent jury.

On Thursday and Friday of the festival, three nominees will perform at the Nochtspeicher and compete for the ANCHOR, which will then be awarded on Saturday at the magnificent ANCHOR - The Award Show. While other music awards recognise record sales or popularity, the ANCHOR honours the unique musical quality that manifests itself in live performances. In an age where algorithms predict and dictate musical taste, the ANCHOR reintroduces the concept of expert recommendation. For music fans, it is a guide to the absolute must-listens in the current international music scene.

On Saturday, the six nominees, Kässy Beth McCarthy, Enji, Strongboi, Milan Ring and Moonchild Sanelly, will perform at the award show. The jury, consisting of Tayla Parx, Emily Kokal, Julia Stone and Tim Bendzko, will then award the Anchor 2024.