Our Award Winners
At this year’s Anchor Award show at the St. Pauli Theater, one act truly stood in the spotlight: Mei Semones. With her songs and performance, she impressed the jury and took home the international music award.
The prize comes with some exciting extras: Mei Semones receives a tech equipment voucher worth €20,000 from PRG and will have access to a tour bus from Pieter Smit for a limited time.
Congratulations!
IMJA – International Music Journalism Award
Other awards are also highly regarded here – like the IMJA, which honors outstanding music journalism. This year, the award was presented for the eighth time, as a grand finale of the re:publica x Reeperbahn Festival.
2025 Winners:
Best Work Of Music Journalism – Text (English): “Sade: Diamonds Are Forever” – Disco Pogo / Joe Muggs
Best Work Of Music Journalism – Text (German): “Wie ich lernte, klassische Musik zu lieben” – SZ-Magazin / Kolja Haaf
Best Work Of Music Journalism – Audio (English): “Strong Songs” – Podcast / Kirk Hamilton
Best Work Of Music Journalism – Audio (German): “So Long, Cohen” – ARD / Diviam Hoffmann / Denise Fernholz
Best Work Of Music Journalism – Multimedia (English): “@Marg.mp3” – Instagram / TikTok Margeaux Labat
Best Work Of Music Journalism – Multimedia (German): “Machiavelli Sessions & Stories” – Anja Rässler, Jan Kawelke, Louis Huselstein, Maike Wüllner, Yasmind Vorndran-Ahmadiar
Music Journalist Of The Year (English): Sophie Gilbert (“Girl On Girl – How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves”)
Music Journalist Of The Year (German): Matilda Jelitto (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram)
Best Work Of Music Journalism – New Perspectives / U30:
- “Ich vermisse das VBT.” – YouTube / Yannik Gölz
- “Berliner Clubszene im Wandel” – Tagesspiegel / Cristina Plett
- “Der beste Klub Europas ist in – Wuppertal?” – Der Spiegel / Alana Tongers
VIA – VUT Indie Awards
At Schmidtchen on Festival Thursday, the VIA Awards were presented for the 13th time. These awards, given by the Association of Independent Music Entrepreneurs, honor artists, music projects, and labels. This year, 18 nominees were in the running.
2025 Winners:
- Best Newcomer: Vandalisbin
- Best Act: Masha Qrella
- Best Album: Ebow – “FC Chaya”
- Best Label: Grand Hotel Van Cleef
- Best Experiment: Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst – “The Call”
- Best New Music Business: Aurismatic
- Special Award: Frank Bull
- Indie-Axe: Helen Smith
HELGA! Festival Award
The popular Helga! Festival Award was also presented again – this time on Festival Friday. Since 2013, a professional jury has selected the best national festivals, while fans vote for their favorite festival.
This year, Open Flair took home the Audience Award for Best Festival.
Jury-Selected Winners:
- Grünste Wiese: Gravity Festival
- Feinstes Booking: Summertime Festival
- Unerschrockenste Haltung: MSNT
- Gemischteste Tüte: EselRock Festival – Umsonst & Draußen
- Größtes Glück für den kleinsten Geldbeutel: Ab geht die Lutzi! Festival