Toto’s first love and TFA’s first award recognises exceptionally talented singer-songwriters and bands/projects making any kind of music in India, in any language, and any genre. The only constraint is that their submissions must be their original content. Previous winners have represented a wide range of genres such as Metal, Hip Hop, R&B, Fusion and Electronica, and have come from all corners of India, including the north-east and Jammu and Kashmir. Music critics, producers and leading practitioners have been invited to form part of the independent panel of jurors.
The Toto Awards – Class of 2026
14/02/2026
Another incredible season with close to a thousand entries across our six categories and some truly fearless expressions pushing the envelope of creativity and taking things to a new level.
We’re just blown away and full of excitement about what these amazing artists have in store for the world.
It was a great opportunity to have all the shortlisters in the same room to celebrate each other and catch a glimpse of the shortlisted work at the 2026 awards ceremony last evening at BIC, Bengaluru. It is always heartening to see artists, writers, photographers, filmmakers sharing space, sharing energies and jamming ideas and thoughts. More than anything else, having a good time!
To the 10 winners who took the awards – congratulations, enjoy and savour this moment! To those who didn’t, and to the extended longlist, we hope to see you applying with more work next year. These are just the beginnings and you are all on your way to some groundbreaking things! Let’s all stay in touch and collaborate on your next big idea.
A big thank you to the TFA trustees and team for getting things together through the season and for the awards evening.
The Toto Awards are supported by Badri Vishal (Music), Nabonita Majumdar and Sarita Vellani (Creative Writing English), Rohan Kothari (Photography), Bhoomija Trust (Kannada), and The Aroon Raman Family (Short Film).
Presenting, the Toto Awards Class of 2026 !
Amoli Birewar (Short Film)
Shubham Negi (Short Film)
Kaafi Aalsi (Music)
Inshallah Babes (Music )
Agraj Nagarkoti (Photography)
Shashwat Das (Photography)
Akshita Sinha (Digital Art)
Nabha Okkunda (Creative Writing – Kannada)
Ifaam Bashir (Creative Writing – English)
Bhumika Sanjeev (Creative Writing – English)
See you next year, Call for applications will open in July 2026 for the 2027 Awards.
The Toto Awards for Music are supported by Badri Vishal.
Past Winners
.khokkosh and Moosa (2025)
Kinari and Amrit Ramnath (2024)
Dindun and Rudy Mukta (2023)
RANJ (2022)
Saby Singh (2021)
Swadesi (2020)
Plastic Parvati (2019)
Prabh Deep (2018)
Disco Puppet (2017)
Prateek Kuhad (2016)
Parvaaz (2015)
The Monkey In Me (2014)
Adam And The Fish-Eyed Poets (2013)
Peter Cat Reconrding Co. (2012)
Lucid Recess (2011)
Rosemary (2010)
Another Vertigo Rush (2009)
Shefali Alvares (2008)
Lounge Piranha (2007)
Demonic Resurrection (2006)
Myndsnare (2005)