Emma prize

Classical music continues to define the Finnish identity. This year’s Emma nominees show that this year that identity is being shaped by poetry settings by Saariaho, sizzling live technology, awareness of biodiversity loss and international quality.

Jazz has a way of pushing the envelope among the categories at the Emma Gala. Some nominees uphold the Scandinavian Jazz brand, while others take a reforming approach.

Finland’s most prominent music awards are given out at the Emma Gala on 6 May 2022. Broadcast live on TV, it is a night of glittering gowns, pop stars and emotional thank-you speeches, as is customary, but this is not just a promotional event for the music industry. The nominees and prizewinners in each category – classical music, jazz, folk music – are decided by independent juries, meaning that the Emmas offer a considered professional opinion on quality in Finnish music. FMQ launches its new series 'This should be good' with a review of the Emma prize nominees for classical, jazz and ethno/global music.

The list of nominees suggests that the best ethno albums derive their energy from a collision of musical nuclei. Archive meets EDM, smooth meets rough, Karelia meets the Balkans.