Seven works of music nominated for the 2026 Teosto Prize

The Teosto Prize amounts to EUR 40,000, which can be divided among a maximum of four winning works. If only one winner is selected, the prize money will be EUR 25,000. The purpose of the Prize is to recognise bold, original and innovative Finnish works of music.

The nominated works for the 2026 Teosto Prize are:

• Joel Järventausta’s composition Fantasia pianolle ja orkesterille
• Aili Järvelä’s compositions and lyrics on the album VUORI
• The group good boys’ works on the album Hittaa
• Lydia Lehtola’s compositions and lyrics and Lehtola and her team’s arrangements on Lyyti’s album Pidän sulle paikkaa
• Niillas Holmberg and Pauli Lyytinen’s works on the album Naarattu laulu
• Ulla Lintulampi’s compositions and lyrics and the team’s arrangements on Ullalintulampi’s album Kannattelen
• Moriamo Ahmed’s lyrics and Ahmed and Nori Kin’s compositions on Kofu’s album in the absence of apathy

The nominees were selected by a preliminary selection panel consisting of journalist Ella Ossi (Chair); musician, lecturer and journalist Ville Komppa (Vice Chair); the Finnish Jazz Federation’s Executive Director Maria Silvennoinen; journalist Jarkko Fräntilä; DJ and promoter Marju Rotinen; violinist and opera director Siljamari Heikinheimo and journalist Juuso Määttänen.

“The works we listened to sparked a lot of discussion, and many of them impressed the panel. What the nominated works have in common is originality and innovativeness. Each of them has its own style and atmosphere, and this group of nominated works is once again a testament to the high quality of music made in Finland today,” says Ella Ossi, Chair of the preliminary selection panel.

A four-person panel of judges will decide on the winners of the Teosto Prize. This year, the panel of judges consists of the 2025 Teosto Prize winners Kristo Laanti (DJ Kridlokk) and Mioko Yokoyama, as well as two members invited by Teosto’s management team, the long-time music business influencer Pekka Ruuska and Sini Tiainen, Music Content Manager for the Nordic countries at the streaming service Qobuz.

The winners will be announced at an event for invited guests at the restaurant of Musiikkitalo on 16 April.

Reasons for the nominations

Joel Järventausta’s composition Fantasia pianolle ja orkesterille

Premiere: 29 October 2025, Musiikkitalo, Helsinki. Performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov; soloist Joonas Ahonen, piano. Published by: Edition Wilhelm Hansen.
After a swinging, appealing and speedy start, Joel Järventausta’s Fantasia pianolle ja orkesterille becomes a delicate and original work. The composition is sometimes delicate and sometimes furious, but it goes off in a surprising direction, turning inwards and movingly dissolving into silence. The work focuses on the composer becoming a father and the premature baby’s long fight for their life in intensive care. In classical music, parenthood, and especially fatherhood, is still an unusual subject, and Järventausta deals with it in a way that resonates with the listener.

Aili Järvelä’s compositions and lyrics on the album VUORI

Aili Järvelä’s self-published album Vuori is a musically rich work with lyrics that feel intimate, in which the author’s compelling vision and comprehensive artistry can be heard and felt from the beginning to the end. The work has deep roots in chamber and folk music, and its expression is reminiscent of musicals. The collaboration with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, harpist Laura Hynninen, percussionist Samuli Kosminen and producer Pekka Kuusisto creates a warm, breathing soundscape that carries the listener through moments of stillness and towards heights.

The group good boys’ works on the album Hittaa 

Hittaa, the third album of the five-person group good boys, is an exciting boost to Finnish rap music in its originality and DIY spirit. The playful lyrics of the songs transform even banal topics into humorous rhymes. The overarching theme of the work is to spread good mood, which is a delightful departure from the atmosphere of both modern rap and the whole world. The production of the songs and the use of samples provide effective support.

Lydia Lehtola’s compositions and lyrics and Lehtola and her team’s arrangements on Lyyti’s album Pidän sulle paikkaa

Lyytin Pidän sulle paikkaa is a story that progresses from feelings of being an outsider to finding and maintaining one’s own community. The diversity of the compositions opens doors to changing emotional states. The lyrics of the songs tie everything together into a cohesive whole, where the listener can immerse themselves in the stories or reflect on their own way of being part of a community. The world is full of songs about romantic love, but Lyyti writes about the many aspects of friendship in an insightful and touching way. 

Niillas Holmberg and Pauli Lyytinen’s works on the album Naarattu laulu

Niillas Holmberg and Pauli Lyytinen’s Naarattu laulu transports the listener to a state of silence, where time slows down and changes shape. Connection with nature is at the heart of the work. Holmberg’s recitation and joik combine with Lyytinen’s saxophone and electronic instruments in a way that feels eternal: old and present-day, familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. On the album, poetry, music and improvisation form a complete work of art, which opens almost with a whisper and reveals a whole world to the listener.

Ulla Lintulampi’s compositions and lyrics and the team’s arrangements on Ullalintulampi’s album Kannattelen

Published by: Panama-levyt
Despite being the debut album of Ullalintulampi, Kannattelen is still an amazingly complete work. In the lyrics of the work, realism meets ghosts that collide with objects. In the end result, the narrator’s uncertainty about day-to-day happenings and life in general combines with the sensitivity and wildness of indie rock and pop.

Moriamo Ahmed’s lyrics and Ahmed and Nori Kin’s compositions on Kofu’s album in the absence of apathy

Kofu’sin the absence of apathy is an in-depth exploration of emotions and their conflicts. Nuanced vocal harmonies and intense, experimental soundscapes are seamlessly entwined in the work, forming an intimate and intentional whole that leaves the listener feeling raw.

The Teosto Prize highlights the diversity of music genres

With the Prize, Teosto, which represents music creators and publishers, would like to bear responsibility for the promotion and diversity of Finnish music. The Teosto Prize celebrates bold, original and innovative works of music, regardless of genre or commercial success. The Prize also highlights the importance of the work of composers, lyricists and arrangers in the music industry ecosystem.

In the picture:
Top left: ullalintulampi: Mikko Kanniala, Ulla Lintulampi and Miska Kuusela; Aili Järvelä; good boys: Lauri Lindh (Hiu Loori), Kosmo Jutila (¥ung Oatl¥), Miro von Konow (Akuutti M) and Leo Minkkinen (MC Vatkain).
Bottom left: Lyyti: Antti Vuorenmaa and Lyyti / Lydia Lehtola; Joel Järventausta; Niillas Holmberg and Pauli Lyytinen; Nori Kin.

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