The new award, The Independent, was presented for the first time on 29 January at Park Bio, hosted by Annika Aakjær.

The evening featured a number of awards honouring both established and emerging artists in current releases. Categories included Album of the Year, Band of the Year and Debut of the Year. The award for Soloist of the Year was presented by an independent jury appointed by the Danish Artist Association and went to Lucky Lo. The award was presented on the evening by the chairperson of the Danish Artist Association, Sara Indrio.

"The Danish Artist Association is pleased to help shine a spotlight on the many independent artists and labels who work hard every day to write, create and produce Danish music - often at their own expense and risk. Each unique investment in time and finances contributes to a diverse range of music in a small language area and constitutes an impressive range of quality and high level," said Sara Indrio during the award ceremony.

Annual tradition and celebration With the award, the DUP wants to create an annual tradition that 'not only recognises commercial success on streaming services, but also highlights artists who stand out with creativity and unique expression', according to a press release.

Artist and songwriter Anne Dorte Michelsen received an honorary award for her work over more than four decades as a leading composer, lyricist, singer and musician on the Danish music scene.

The Danish Artist Association congratulates the independent record industry and all the winners. See all the winners here.

The majority of Danish releases are 'independent'

The independent music scene accounts for a significant portion of new music releases. According to figures from the Worldwide Independent Network, independent artists and record labels released 80 per cent of all new music globally in the period 2022-2023. In Denmark, the independent music scene is also strongly represented in the music landscape. The exact number of self-publishers is unknown, but DUP estimates that artists from independent record labels account for around 70 per cent of new Danish releases. This figure also includes self-publishers who are members of DUP.

In 2023, Spotify published its Danish streaming figures for the first time. They showed that Danish artists and rights holders generated DKK 311 million in streaming revenue on the platform. Of this, 38 per cent - equivalent to approximately DKK 118 million - went to releases from independent artists, including self-publishers, and independent record labels.

An independent company's ownership does not involve multinational corporations, unlike the so-called majors, which today include Sony, Warner, Universal and their subsidiaries. Among the large independent companies in Denmark are Playground Music, Tamburhinocerous, Target and Crynchy Frog.

DUP represents both record labels and self-publishers. DUP currently has 208 members, and it is among these that the nominees have been selected and recommended to the Danish Artist Union's jury.