The 10th YUNA awards have named their picks of Ukraine’s best musicians of 2020.
Unlike the previous year, when the winners were announced through an online stream because of the lockdown, this year’s ceremony was delayed but eventually held full-fledged at the capital’s Ukraine Palace on May 12.
The ceremony became a big moment for the first-time nominees of Ukrainian electronic duo Tvorchi. The group, made up of Nigerian Jeffrey Augustus Kenny and Ukrainian Andriy Hutsuliak, collected three prizes.
Read more: Tvorchi duo breaks new musical ground
The duo, whose records mostly mix electronic beats and soulful vocals, was named the Best Pop Band. Their third studio album “13 Waves” became the Best Album, while the band’s hit “Bonfire” was recognized as the Best Electronic Music Hit.
On Instagram, the band thanked YUNA, their team, families and friends, and especially their haters, who recommended them to move abroad because “their music isn’t in demand here.”
“We are changing the Ukrainian music industry and we are heard,” Tvorchi’s Instagram post reads.
The ceremony was also a triumph for pop singer Lida Lee, who had debuted in 2020. She was named the Discovery of the Year.
Pop singer Artem Pivovarov won his first YUNA award in the Best Song category for his “Deja Vu.” Meanwhile, the Best Pop Hit award went to Oleg Kenzov’s “Obstanovka po Kaifu” (Blissful Atmosphere).
Ukrainian star rapper Alyona Alyona won the Best Female Artist prize. She also won the award for Best Hip Hop Hit for “Gory” (Mountains), released along with rap group Kalush.
For the third year in a row, pop singer Monatik has become the country’s Best Male Artist. Monatik is also a dancer, who is sometimes referred to as the Ukrainian Justin Timberlake for his energetic choreographed performances.
“This is a motivation for the whole team of dreamers and creators to work even harder,” the singer wrote on Instagram after the ceremony.
Monatik also won a special prize presented for musicians’ creativity during the quarantine in 2020 for his online musical “Rythm.”
In the same category, the organizers also awarded rock band Green Gray, the team of pop singer Oleg Vynnyk, rock band Bez Obmezhen and Mozgi Entertainment producing company.
Monatik’s wife, Iryna Monatik, won Best Artist Management. She split the award with Yehor Kirianov, the manager of the Ukrainian rock band The Hardkiss.
One of YUNA’s most-awarded performers, The Hardkiss, together with the band’s lead singer Yuliia Sanina, stole this year’s show by winning five out of 17 awards. The band became Ukraine’s best Rock Band for the fourth time. They also won the Best Concert Show prize for their “The Hardkiss. Acoustics.” Sanina received the Best Duo and the Best Soundtrack award that she split with pop singer Tina Karol for their “Vilna” song.
This year’s ceremony also celebrated some of Ukraine’s legendary performers. Pop singer Verka Serduchka, known for her epic costume performances and Eurovision silver prize in 2007, won the Best Song in Foreign Language for “Make it Rain Champagne.” Hip hop band TNMK won the Best Music Video for their “History of Ukraine in 5 Minutes.”
The Other Format prize went to DakhaBrakha, one of Ukraine’s best-known bands worldwide.
Read more: Ukrainian folk band DakhaBrakha performs for show by Tiny Desk Concert, Globalfest
Tina Karol also won YUNA’s special prize for сontribution to the development of the Ukrainian music industry. She didn’t expect the award, the singer wrote on Instagram.
“For many years in a row, I was absent from the YUNA awards nominations and always wondered — am I being prepared for something, or am I above the nominations?” Karol’s Instagram post reads. “There is only one (award) for the сontribution to the development of the Ukrainian music industry, and it is now in my hands.”
