Roll Out the Red Carpet, Please
The Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards happen every February — the one time of year when the local scene steps fully into the light. We already took a close look at Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, celebrating Alaska1867 and “eh plan” by digital ísland. Now here’s the complete rundown of every winner from the 2026 Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards.
Album of the Year
The Door — Bears
If you’ve been paying any attention to Icelandic music over the past few years, Birnir needs no introduction. His hip-hop career took off in 2017, and he’s been a reliable presence in the local scene since — particularly after his 2021 album Bushido. With The Door, he’s pushed himself somewhere new. “I genuinely believe this is his best album yet,” said one panelist. “It’s cool, cohesive, and truly deserving of Album of the Year.” Another put it plainly: “Ambitious, meticulously crafted, and unapologetically raw, The Door stands out as a musical highlight of 2025.” The album art doesn’t hurt either — a striking bronze bust of Birnir himself, which says everything about the confidence running through this project.
Nominees:
a place to be by RAKEL
History of Silence by mum
Reykjavík Syndrome by Spacestation
Best Visual Representation
“Taking My Time” by Flesh Machine, directed by Snæfríður Sól Gunnarsdóttir
In 2025, Best Music Video became Best Visual Representation — a small rename that reflects how far the category has stretched. Flesh Machine’s “Taking My Time” is the kind of video that sticks with you precisely because its concept is so stupid-simple and so completely committed: local TikTok sensation Kjartan Logi Sigurjónsson falls down staircases across the city, over and over. That’s it. The panel noted that “the video has criminally low view counts,” which feels like a genuine injustice. “The idea of someone enduring a seemingly endless staircase dive is both ingenious and perplexing at first glance,” they remarked. Hard to argue.
Nominees:
The Door album artwork, creative direction by Doddi Digital
“Sage” by Ólafur Arnalds and Loreen, directed by Thora Hilmarsdóttir
“Midnight Sky” by Kári Egils, directed by Didda Flygenring
Photo by Art Bicnick
Best Live Act
Knackered
The panel didn’t need long to land on this one — the vote was unanimous. “All I heard this year was buzz about Knackered,” one panelist said. She was a Ones to Watch nominee last year, and she’s clearly made good on that promise. Knackered is the solo project of local artist Ida Juhl, built from the wreckage of her earlier work as IDK IDA, and the techno-driven sound she’s developed has been turning heads all year. “This is a sound unlike anything else we’ve encountered locally — it’s almost as if she hails from another world,” one panel member said. That sense of otherness is exactly what makes her sets so hard to shake.
Nominees:
Flesh Machine
symfaux
Unfiled
Best Kept Secret
Halidome by Emma
Emma came out of the 2023 Músíktilraunir festival and spent the next couple of years quietly putting together their debut. Halidome finally arrived in mid-2025 — and then, somehow, disappeared into the noise. The panel felt that was a shame. “Emma’s debut bursts forth with vision and vigor, offering a refreshingly thoughtful take on Icelandic folk-rock,” one panelist said, before adding that “Halidome certainly merits far more applause than it received.” This avant-folk ensemble deserved a wider audience. Maybe the award helps.
Nominees:
In Circles by Woolly Kind
Oh Mama by Agenda
Psionic Dreams by Godchilla
Photo by Sunna Ben
Ones to Watch
BKPM
BKPM have been circling the edges of the scene since 2023, part of a growing wave of guitar-forward acts finding their footing in Reykjavík. Their debut LP, Wait Huh?, channels post-punk and experimental rock with an irreverence that suits them well — matching hi-vis vests at shows included. “BKPM shows tremendous potential,” one panelist said. “I’m eager to see what they conjure up next; I have no doubt it will soar even higher.” There’s more going on under the surface here than the playful presentation lets on.
Nominees:
digital island
Frid
Julian Civilian
Shout Out
Unlawful Garden
A healthy music scene runs on more than artists. It needs the people around them — promoters, writers, presenters — who keep the energy circulating. To mark its five-year anniversary, the panel chose to recognise the RÚV radio show Ólátagarður, which has spent half a decade shining a light on emerging, grassroots talent. The show came out of an outside submission during RÚV’s annual “Idea Days” and has been quietly doing the work ever since, “bringing something new and fresh to the airwaves,” as one panelist put it. “I can’t recall a time I recognised an artist featured on their show,” another noted — and that’s precisely the point.
Nominees:
crushed
Oli Dori
Reykjavík Record Shop
Best Music Event
quean : kven : queen by Samantha Shay and Sóley Stefánsdóttir
This category is new this year, and it exists for good reason — musicians take on enormous personal and financial risk to bring ambitious ideas to life, and that deserves its own recognition. After considerable deliberation, the panel landed on “quean : kven : queen” by Samantha Shay and Sóley Stefánsdóttir, staged at Salurinn. The performance was timed to the 50th anniversary of the Icelandic Women’s Strike and used music, dance, text, and visuals to turn collective resistance into something you could sit inside. “An evocative fusion of various art forms, including music, dance, text, and visuals, that produced a compelling statement,” one panelist said. It was that kind of show.
Nominees:
Norðanpaunk DIY Festival
Satan Metal Festival
Spider Network for Kárihátíð
The 2026 panel comprised:
Alexander the Wise of Fontenay
Ish Sveinsson Houle
Jóhannes Bjarkason
Kristján Guðjónsson
Maria-Carmela Raso
