Finalists announced at the MIN Awards

The five finalists in each category of the MIN Independent Music Awards have been selected by the jury. Merina Gris, Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado, Olaia Inziarte, Vulk and Zea Mays are in the running for the Etxepare Award for Best Album in Basque. The awards ceremony will be held on 17 May in Palma de Mallorca.

The other semi-finalists in this category were Arima Soul, Bulego, Eñaut Elorrieta, Esti Markez, ETS (En Tol Sarmiento), Ezpalak, Goxua de Salsa, Ilargi, Inés Osinaga and Mikel Urdangarin.

Many of these artists were also semi-finalists for awards in other categories, including different musical styles (best jazz album, best flamenco album, best rock album, etc.), languages (Basque, Catalan, Galician), as well as more general awards (best album, best video clip and best song).

A number of Basque musicians will be vying for awards in several categories: Chica Sobresalto will compete for the best new artist award; Izaro is a finalist for best pop album and Belako for best rock album; and Inés Osinaga’s album ´Itsasoa da bide bakarra´ (El mar es el único camino) has been shortlisted for best graphic design.

The MIN Awards were created in 2009 para dar visibilidad a la creación artística a nivel estatal, la diversidad cultural, el talento y las producciones de pequeñas y medianas empresas musicales, así como para la promoción de la música independiente a nivel nacional e internacional.

The MIN Awards were created in 2009 to honour artistic creation, promote cultural diversity and new talent, and showcase the productions of small and medium-sized music companies in Spain. The awards also serve to provide greater visibility to independent music both nationally and internationally.