Indian Music Awards for Independent Artists

Indian music awards that recognise independent artists, from the MTV EMA Best India Act and Grammys to the TIMD and Clef awards, with winners by year.

Key facts

MTV EMA: The MTV Europe Music Award for Best India Act was first given in 2012, to Alobo Naga & The Band, according to Wikipedia.
Latest EMA winner: Mali won the Best India Act at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards, according to Wikipedia.
Grammys: Ricky Kej won Grammys in 2015, 2022 and 2023, according to Wikipedia.
Global Music Album: Shakti won the 2024 Grammy for Best Global Music Album for This Moment, according to Wikipedia.
TIMD Awards 2025: Chirag Todi's Bangers Only won Album of the Year at the sixth TIMD Awards, according to The Indian Music Diaries.
Clef Music Awards 2025: Anirban Ajoy Das won Song of the Year for Kafkaesque Yeh Life at the fifth Clef Music Awards on 19 September 2025, according to Radio and Music.

The main awards that recognise Indian independent artists are the MTV Europe Music Award for Best India Act, first given in 2012, the Grammys, and Indian independent-focused awards such as the TIMD Awards and the Clef Music Awards. Mainstream Indian music awards such as the Mirchi Music Awards and Filmfare focus on film music. This guide lists each award with sourced winners and years.

Last updated 24 October 2026

Which awards recognise Indian independent music?

MTV Europe Music Award for Best India Act, an international award category first given in 2012, according to Wikipedia.
Grammy Awards, where Indian independent musicians have won in categories such as Best New Age Album and Best Global Music Album, according to Wikipedia.
TIMD Awards, run by The Indian Music Diaries, which held its sixth edition in 2025, according to the publication.
Clef Music Awards, run by Radio and Music, which held its fifth edition on 19 September 2025, according to Radio and Music.
Forbes India 30 Under 30, a list rather than an award, which has included independent musicians such as Ritviz and Anuv Jain, according to Wikipedia.

Who has won the MTV EMA for Best India Act?

Wikipedia lists these winners of the MTV Europe Music Award for Best India Act.

2012: Alobo Naga & The Band.
2013: Yo Yo Honey Singh.
2014: Yo Yo Honey Singh.
2015: Priyanka Chopra.
2016: Prateek Kuhad.
2017: Hard Kaur.
2018: Big Ri and Meba Ofilia.
2019: Emiway Bantai.
2020: Armaan Malik.
2021: Divine.
2022: Armaan Malik.
2023: Tsumyoki.
2024: Mali.

The 2024 nominees included Chirag Todi, Dee MC and EPR, Hanumankind and Kamakshi Khanna, according to Wikipedia.

Winners have included independent acts, such as Alobo Naga & The Band and the Shillong duo Big Ri and Meba Ofilia, alongside film and pop stars, according to Wikipedia and The Hindu reporting it cites.

Wikipedia's Divine article dates his win to November 2022, while the award's own winners list places it in 2021.

The guide to Prateek Kuhad songs covers the 2016 winner's catalogue.

Which Indian independent musicians have won Grammys?

Ricky Kej won the Grammy for Best New Age Album in February 2015, according to Wikipedia.
Ricky Kej won his second Grammy, for Best New Age Album with Divine Tides, at the 64th Grammy Awards in Las Vegas in April 2022, according to Wikipedia.
Ricky Kej won his third Grammy, for Best Immersive Audio Album with Divine Tides, at the 65th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in February 2023, according to Wikipedia.
Shakti won the Grammy for Best Global Music Album in 2024 for This Moment, according to Wikipedia.
Shakti received two nominations in the Best Global Music Album category for the 2026 Grammy Awards for Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live), according to Wikipedia.

Wikipedia describes Ricky Kej as a three-time Grammy winner and four-time nominee.

Who won the TIMD Awards in 2025?

The Indian Music Diaries lists these winners of its sixth TIMD Awards in 2025.

Album of the Year: Bangers Only by Chirag Todi.
EP of the Year: Explained Twice by Aksomaniac.
Public's Choice: Sai Abhyankkar.
Pop or singer-songwriter: Just Like A Movie by Prateek Kuhad.
Hip-hop: Kaathu Mela by Paal Dabba.
Emerging artist: Dizlaw.
Rock or metal: Bhayanak Maut.
Electronic: Tijori by Tech Panda and Kenzani.
Debut: Karan Verma.

Who won earlier TIMD Awards?

2024: The Fall by Komorebi won Album of the Year, according to The Indian Music Diaries.
2024: Jatayu won in rock or metal, according to the same source.
2024: Reble won emerging hip-hop artist, according to the same source.
2024: Ladke Convict by Yashraj won in hip-hop, according to the same source.
2024: MC Stan won Public's Choice, according to the same source.
2023: The Night is Clear by Parekh & Singh won Album of the Year, according to The Indian Music Diaries.
2023: Caught in a Parade by Easy Wanderlings won EP of the Year, according to the same source.
2023: Bloodywood won in rock or metal, according to the same source.
2022: Enjoy Enjaami won Song of the Year, according to The Indian Music Diaries.

The recap page covers several editions, so check the edition year on the page before citing a single result.

Delhi hip-hop, which features heavily in these categories, is covered in the guide to Seedhe Maut songs.

Who won the Clef Music Awards in 2025?

The fifth Clef Music Awards were held on 19 September 2025 at The Westin Garden City in Mumbai, according to Radio and Music.
Anirban Ajoy Das won Song of the Year for Kafkaesque Yeh Life, according to Radio and Music.
NIJJAR won Album of the Year for I M Possible, according to Radio and Music.
K3M Band won Best Regional English Rock Song, according to Radio and Music.
Sumeet Tappoo won four awards, according to Radio and Music.
The 2025 awards covered music released between 1 May 2024 and 30 June 2025, according to the Clef Music Awards site.

What about Filmfare and Mirchi Music Awards?

The Mirchi Music Awards are presented annually by Radio Mirchi to honour the Hindi film music industry, according to Wikipedia.

The Mirchi awards were first given for the best of 2008, and a South edition launched in 2010 and a Bangla edition in 2012, according to Wikipedia.

Film awards can still reward independent musicians when they work on a film.

Gully Boy, inspired by the Mumbai rappers Divine and Naezy, won 13 Filmfare Awards, according to Wikipedia.

Which independent musicians have appeared on Forbes India 30 Under 30?

Ritviz was featured on Forbes India's 30 Under 30 list, according to Wikipedia, which also places him on a Grazia India Cool List cover in 2021.
Anuv Jain featured on the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list of 2023, according to Wikipedia.

Which Indian artists to watch could win next?

The 2024 MTV EMA nominees, Chirag Todi, Dee MC and EPR, Hanumankind and Kamakshi Khanna, are a useful shortlist of artists already recognised by an international award, according to Wikipedia.

Chirag Todi went on to win Album of the Year at the 2025 TIMD Awards, according to The Indian Music Diaries.

Discography tracks Hanumankind's catalogue in its guide to Hanumankind songs, and a wider list is in best Indian independent artists of 2026.

How should these awards be cited?

Cite the awarding body or its official recap, along with the edition year, not the year the music was released.

For the MTV EMA, cite the year of the ceremony.

For the TIMD and Clef awards, cite the edition number and its year.

The Clef Music Awards, for example, set an eligibility window for each edition, and the 2025 window ran from 1 May 2024 to 30 June 2025, according to the Clef Music Awards site.

For the Grammys, cite the ceremony number where possible, such as the 64th or 65th Grammy Awards, so readers can match the result to the right ceremony.

FAQ

Which award is given to Indian independent artists?

Several are. The MTV Europe Music Award for Best India Act has run since 2012, and Indian-focused awards such as the TIMD Awards and the Clef Music Awards honour independent releases, according to Wikipedia, The Indian Music Diaries and Radio and Music.

Who won the MTV EMA Best India Act in 2024?

Mali won in 2024, according to Wikipedia. The nominees included Chirag Todi, Dee MC and EPR, Hanumankind and Kamakshi Khanna.

Has an Indian independent musician won a Grammy?

Yes. Ricky Kej won in 2015, 2022 and 2023, and Shakti won Best Global Music Album in 2024, according to Wikipedia.

Who won Album of the Year at the TIMD Awards 2025?

Chirag Todi's Bangers Only won Album of the Year at the sixth TIMD Awards, according to The Indian Music Diaries.

What are the Clef Music Awards?

They are independent music awards run by Radio and Music, whose fifth edition was held on 19 September 2025 at The Westin Garden City in Mumbai, according to Radio and Music.