The wait is finally over! We are back with the 7th edition of the Indian Music Diaries Awards, marking another year of celebrating the relentless spirit and sonic diversity of India’s independent music ecosystem.
Since its inception, the TIMD Awards have served as a barometer for the indie scene, spotlighting artists who refuse to play by the rules of the mainstream. As we kick off the 2026 season, the stakes are higher, the talent is broader, and the mission remains the same: recognising excellence in an industry that continues to redefine itself every day.
The 7th Edition arrives at a pivotal time for Indian independent music. From the surge of regional hip-hop to the global infiltration of Indian electronic sounds, the “indie” label has evolved into a powerhouse of its own.
This year, the awards will continue to evaluate releases across a wide spectrum of genres, ensuring that whether you are a bedroom producer or a touring heavyweight, your craft has a seat at the table.
The Jury Panel
This year’s deliberations are led by a multidisciplinary panel of industry professionals who bring decades of collective experience in steering through the musical ecosystem. Joining the panel for the 7th Edition are:
Girish ‘Bobby’ Talwar: A musician, lawyer, and cultural entrepreneur, Bobby is widely regarded as an architect of India’s independent ecosystem. As a co-founder of OML and the creator of the iconic NH7 Weekender, he has shaped the careers of dozens of Indian artists. His work extends deep into the global sync and digital landscape; notably, he worked on the placement of the Arabic hit “Fa9la” by Flipperachi in the blockbuster Dhurandhar, a cross-cultural moment that topped Billboard Arabia charts and earned a Guinness World Record. Beyond music, he co-founded Weirdass Comedy alongside Vir Das, producing hit projects across Netflix and Amazon that earned an International Emmy nomination. Today, as the founder of Rebellion Management and creator of Bobkaast, he continues to build the frameworks that help creators monetise and scale their art.
Uzma Aman Khan: A powerhouse in music distribution and market strategy, Uzma joins the jury with over twelve years of experience navigating the journey from studio to global market. As the Vice President of Content Marketing & Business Development at Phonographic Digital Limited (PDL), she leads the strategy for an expansive ecosystem of independent labels across 13+ Indian languages. Her career spans influential tenures at T-Series, Believe, and Aditya Music, where she led digital strategy for high-impact Hindi film soundtracks and spearheaded international catalogue positioning. Uzma’s deep exposure to regional catalogues and non-metro consumption patterns gives her a unique vantage point on how music succeeds beyond initial discovery.
Amit Gurbaxani: A respected voice in music journalism, Amit is a Mumbai-based writer with over two and a half decades of experience covering the Indian music industry. As the South Asia Editor at Music Ally, he brings a sharp perspective on the business and cultural shifts shaping the industry. He is also the co-founder and co-host of The Indian Music Charts Podcast, a leading platform for music commentary in India. His work has been featured in publications such as Billboard, India Today, and The Nod, making him a key figure in India’s evolving music story.
Kanika Gupta: A music industry leader, radio broadcaster, and pop culture curator, Kanika Gupta brings over a decade of experience across India’s independent music ecosystem. She currently leads international artist marketing in India for Outdustry and Virgin Music Group, and has driven relevant campaigns for global artists such as Charli XCX, Louis Tomlinson, Steven Wilson, and LANY.
She also spearheads Rule by Joy, an indie-focused label under Outdustry Records, focused on building culture-first artist journeys. Previously, she led music strategy and partnerships at ShareChat and Moj, gaining deep insight into how music travels across digital and short-video platforms. With experience spanning radio, marketing, and label building, Kanika brings a sharp, future-facing perspective to the jury.
Saransh Kharbanda: Working at the intersection of music, conversation, and digital platforms, Saransh Kharbanda is the creator of Pak Pak Pakao—a conversation-led IP that brings together voices from the Indian music community over shared meals, cutting through surface-level narratives with honest, long-form dialogue.
A former Google and YouTube executive, he brings over a decade of experience navigating the evolving relationship between music, technology, and audience behaviour in India, with a close understanding of how artists grow, distribute, and sustain their presence across platforms.
As a jury member, Saransh brings an IP-first, platform-aware lens to the jury, evaluating nominees within the broader shift of how independent artists are building culture, community, and long-term value beyond just releases.
Neel Adhikari: A composer, singer-songwriter, and music supervisor, Neel Adhikari works extensively across independent releases, web series, film scores, and live collaborations. His practice is deeply rooted in India’s alternative music space, balancing individual songwriting with composition-led projects and key supervising roles across formats.
Joining the jury, he brings a clear understanding of how music works across different formats, both as a standalone piece and as part of a larger story.
Sponsor Spotlight – Phonographic Digital Limited
As our official Powering Partner, PDL serves as the economic enabler for over 1,300 labels and 46,000+ rights owners. Through their proprietary COSMOS-ORBIT-COMET ecosystem, they convert the complexity of global distribution into operational clarity. By legitimizing revenue streams across streaming, radio, and UGC, PDL provides the infrastructure that allows creative risk to become a sustainable livelihood for artists across 13+ Indian languages.
What to Expect Next
The kickoff is just the start of the journey toward the 7th Edition ceremony. Over the coming weeks, the focus shifts entirely to the music that defined the last year. We will be unveiling the highly anticipated nominations very soon, moving us one step closer to honoring the releases that have pushed the boundaries of the independent circuit.
This edition is a celebration of the community, the growth, and the sounds that make this scene the most exciting place to be right now. Keep your eyes on this space, the road to the 7th Edition has officially begun.
The shortlist drops soon. Stay tuned.
