Raw Critters Awards 2026: the art of being natural
On January 24, 2026, we held the Raw Critters Awards 2026 at Sala Vesta in Madrid, an event where we celebrated the work of the 12 bands and solo artists who have been part of our Jungle Bands project. The latest addition joined in 2024 and, after two years growing with us, they now share the same mission: defending naturalness in a music scene increasingly saturated with artifice. That fight for authenticity is what gives meaning to these awards.
It’s becoming harder and harder to hear natural voices. Maybe it’s the passage of time. Perhaps, before Elvis, it was easier to be Elvis. Once the myth was born, there was one less space to fill and one more model to copy. Or maybe it’s just a trend, because distorting your voice is fashionable, and if you don’t do it, you don’t sell. It may also be the market’s influence, which rewards replicating a hit—something that takes far less effort than creating one from scratch. Who wants to be authentic when you can imitate Dani Martín’s voice and call it a reference?
The same thing happens with songs. One after another repeats the same sound, the same rhythm, and the same lyrics with a nonsense rhyme. From the life in plastic, it’s fantastic we’ve ended up at la puta me ha dejao con el picho pelao, que tu ere bien puta, que tu ere bien puta puta puta puta, cheap, sexist insults used only to make it rhyme. Reggaeton has been quite the “step forward.”
Now, we face new challenges with generative artificial intelligence (AI), which blends everything that came before and puts it within anyone’s reach. It’s getting harder to tell whether an artist is real or not, and soon we’ll have tribute bands touring venues based on the work of an AI, one that has autotuned Shakira’s voice and churned out copy‑paste dirty versions of Alanis Morissette. The landscape was already bleak, and it doesn’t seem to be improving.
To fight back, we propose one word: RAW. Raw is the strategy behind Raw Critters and our commitment to stepping outside the market to do whatever we want. Raw are the 12 artists highlighted by an expert jury and our collective through these awards. We hope you enjoy them. And if not, you can always go twerk somewhere else. Fuck Yeah Raw Critters!
In memoriam
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The Raw Critters Awards honor the memory of Nick Weaver, who was a member of Deep Sea Arcade. The Australian band was the first group to join the Critters Acts (Jungle Bands) program back in 2010. They visited us in Spain following our collaboration with The Ivy League Records. That encounter led to their participation in the Primavera Sound Festival and in the Radio 3 concerts. |
Raw Critters Awards: Best Proposal (Best Jungle Band)
- 1st Prize 🏆: Bryony Sier (10,8 pts)
- 2nd Prize 🥈: Paz Aguado (8,9 pts)
- 3rd Prize 🥉: Oh! Marlene (7,5 pts)
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Raw Critters Awards: Best Solo Artist
- 1st Prize 🏆: Bryony Sier (10,8 pts)
- 2nd Prize 🥈: Paz Aguado (8,9 pts)
- 3rd Prize 🥉: Stereo Roux (4,2 pts)
Raw Critters Awards: Best Band
- 1st Prize 🏆: Oh! Marlene (7,5 pts)
- 2nd Prize 🥈: One More Weekend (5,7 pts)
- 2nd Prize 🥈: Six To Fix (5,7 pts)
- 3rd Prize 🥉: La Amenaza Constante (4,5 pts)
Raw Critters Awards: Best Music Video
- 1st Prize 🏆: Bryony Sier – Babylon (3,3 pts)
- 2nd Prize 🥈: Lapsus Planck – Wonderful War (2,1 pts)
- 2nd Prize 🥈: Six to Fix – La Superficie (2,1 pts)
- 3rd Prize 🥉: One More Weekend – Aunty Meredith (2 pts)
Voting
Some scores were affected by circumstances beyond the competition itself. The artists who participated in the tour in Spain received more votes than those who were unable to attend. In addition, the audience favored the groups they saw live because some performed on the same day.
Regarding the video category, not all artists had music videos, and those who had two videos saw their votes split between them. In future editions, each artist will compete with only one video in order to avoid disadvantaging those who have more than one option.
You can access the filewith the full list of votes.
Raw Critters would like to thank all members of the jury for their generous participation and for supporting this non‑profit project, which provides a platform for new and emerging artists. Thank you!
| Jury Members | Raw Critters Staff | Jungle Bands |
| J. Edward Keyes (Bandcamp Editorial Director) Ángel González Perianés (El Mundo) Nacho Serrano (ABC, HRB) Kepa Arbizu (Ruta 66, El Giradiscos, Mondosonoro) Vicente Úbeda (Lucinda Records) Nuria Castañer (La Rubia Producciones) Patacho Recio (Glutamato Ye-Yé, SEDA) Carlos Igual (Carlo Pari) Intxizu Bengoa (IF Producciones) Ana González (Emana Comunicaciones) María Moral (Oniria Creative) Mar Barbados (ex-Mi Rollo) Jesús Rayuelo (music influencer) Yago e Iñaki (Yo También Soy Indie) |
Mar de Miguel-Bonet John Russell (Rebjukebox) David Aznar (Dao) David López (Daloja) Rose Breindl Berni Calvo Molly Smith Thomas Poinsot Jakub Vargas (Samy) Isa Crystal Liu Heaven Small |
Neuman (Paco Román) Muñeco (Raúl) Gdansk (Tim) Lapsus Planck La Amenaza Constante Oh! Marlene Six To Fix Fansandro One More Weekend Flamingos Paz Aguado Bryony Sier Stereo Roux Vancrynes Juan Alonso |
Critters Acts (Jungle Bands)
