At the 26th 1Live Music Awards in Bielefeld, singer Zartmann and rapper Ikkimel each received two honors. Zartmann was named best artist, and his hit 'Tau mich auf' was voted song of the year. Listeners of the WDR radio station decided across nine categories involving over 50 nominees.
The 1Live Music Awards ceremony, touted by WDR as Germany's biggest music prize, took place at the Lokschuppen venue in Bielefeld. Over four weeks, listeners voted in nine categories featuring more than 50 nominees, leading to a celebration of pop and hip-hop stars. Zartmann, who shared the award with Ski Aggu last year, expressed his disbelief: 'From now on at the latest, it feels like a dream'.
Ikkimel triumphed in Best Newcomer and Best Party Song categories with her explicitly sexualized tracks. Nina Chuba claimed her fourth Krone as Best Female Artist, arriving in a polka-dot bikini top. Nico Santos secured his second award as Best Pop Act. Other winners included indie band Provinz for Best Alternative Song, party rapper Finch as Best Live Act, and Ski Aggu for Best Hip-Hop Song 'Palermo' – his sixth victory.
A special award went to filmmakers Juan Moreno and Sinan Sevinc for their Netflix documentary on rapper Haftbefehl, which addresses drug addiction and mental health issues. The show featured performances by WiztheMC, a duet from Berq and Paula Hartmann, Kraftklub with Faber, birthday celebrant Marteria, and Tokio Hotel. Host Aminata Belli described the event as a 'little break from reality' and a 'Christmas party' for the music scene.
A serious moment came with Tahsim Durgun's win for Best Entertainment. Comedian Parshad praised him as a bridge-builder between cultures. Durgun sharply criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz: 'I wish we had a chancellor who understands that my parents also built this country' and 'he would stop demonizing an entire population segment in Germany with his language'. The awards blended fun with societal discussions.