Yamê Wins Grand Jury Prize at Music Moves Europe Awards 2025

French-Cameroonian artist Yamê received the Grand Jury Prize at the Music Moves Europe (MME) Awards 2025. Known for blending contemporary pop with traditional Cameroonian influences, he accepted the award with humility, stating, “This is only the beginning.”

Held as part of the Euro sonic Noorderslag (ESNS) festival, the MME Awards recognize emerging European talent. Past winners include Stromae, ROSALÍA, Dua Lipa, Hozier, and Christine and the Queens. Each year, 15 artists are nominated, with five winning a €10,000 prize. The Grand Jury Prize winner receives an additional €5,000 as a green touring voucher, while the Public Choice Award offers €5,000 to the artist with the most fan votes.

Spanish singer-songwriter Judeline won the Public Choice Award, expressing her excitement by saying, “My fans are kinda crazy. Probably they asked their moms to vote for me.” Other jury prize winners included UCHE YARA (Austria), Night Tapes (UK), Kingfisher (Ireland), and Judeline, making her a double awardee.

The awards were presented by Bulgarian Cart Rader and Dutch host Shay Kreuger, with European Commissioner Glenn Micallef handing out the Public Choice Award. Micallef highlighted the role of cultural initiatives in strengthening European unity, emphasizing the importance of engaging through music.

Winners reflected on their journeys, with UCHE YARA recalling her first Euro sonic performance in a school canteen and Kingfisher remembering their transition from engineering students to musicians. Judeline shared that just two years ago, she was in the Netherlands working as an au pair.

With previous winners achieving international success, the 2025 awardees are poised for significant career breakthroughs.