It’s your time to be a part of the chorus of admiration! As part of Indian Music Diaries Awards 2024, we come with the shortlisted artists for the ‘Best Artist Of The Year’ for you to choose from. This category, a testament to the power of public choice, invites you to lend your voice and vote for these artists whose music might have moved you most profoundly.
Below is the list of the artists who have been shortlisted so you can know more and cast your vote!
1. Anuv Jain
Best described as a singer/songwriter for every human experience, Ludhiana-based Anuv Jain went from an online sensation to one of India’s most sought-after artists today. Surpassing over 200 million streams for his track ‘Baarishein’ which brought him to the spotlight, the Forbes 30 under 30 artist was also under GQ’s ‘Most Influential Young Indians’ among 35 others. His latest single ‘Husn’ continues to make waves in the music industry, securing the #1 position on India’s top songs. Following this success, he toured across countries like the UK, Australia, and New Zealand and took his music across the globe. His music, best described as a blend of honest lyrics and evocative melodies has translated into phenomenal songs such as ‘Alag Aasmaan,’ ‘Gul,’ and more.
2. Seedhe Maut
This creative force who are redefining Indian youth culture at every turn hail from Delhi have mastered the art of delivering razor-sharp, combative rhymes. The duo consisting of Encore ABJ and Calm have used their lyrical dexterity to push forward the boundaries of Hindi rap in a revolutionary new format that highlights the emotional power that words can convey. They’re most known for their ability to combine pop culture references with socio-politically conscious music. With their ‘Lunch Break’ tour across India becoming a massive success, 2023 saw them establishing as front runners in the hip-hop culture of the country. With albums such as ‘Bayaan’ and singles such as ‘101,’ ‘Scalp Dem,’ and ‘Do Guna,’ they also deal with themes that respond to the reality of South Asian youth.
3. Suzonn
Also known as Sujan Sinha, Guhwati-based singer-songwriter Suzonn’s music spans genres like indie – folk/pop, folk rock, and pop. With his single ‘Farq Hai’ in 2023, the artist took the online music scene by storm becoming one of the year’s most – listened-to tracks. Suzonn continues to garner thousands of followers while releasing singles like ‘Reit aka Ghar’ and ‘Adhure Hum.’ His unique musical style and relatable storytelling continues to win the hearts of people with relatable themes like love, separation, and social issues.
4. MC Stan
‘Basti Ka Hasti’ aka MC Stan aka Altar Tadavi is a Mumbai-based pioneer of hip-hop. With the artist’s childhood revolving around Qawwali music, his artistic influences later shifted to Eminem, Lil Wayne, Tupac, etc, with Rakim having the most influence. Escalating to B-boying and beatboxing before elevating to rapping – the third element of hip hop, MC Stan was loved across the globe in Bigg Boss Season 16 leading him to win the show. He is the most engaged Indian artist on Instagram who also broke the record for the most watched Instagram live against giants like Shah Rukh Khan and Virat Kohli. While continuing to make heads turned in the music industry with his tracks, the artist also released his own jewellery collection, a testament to his success so far.
5. Chaar Diwaari
The musical alias of Garv Taneja, Chaar Diwaari’s primal focus is creating experimental Hindi music and pushing the boundaries of convention in art. The New-Dellhi-based artist is also a visual artist apart from being a music producer, singer/songwriter, and a visual artist. With multiple chart topping singles, the artist recently partied with Honey Singh, the reel of which blew up on Instagram. Donning multiple hats of being a singer, rapper, composer, lyricist, video director, producer and more, he delivered power packed live shows, making 2023 his year . Very few have dared to create music as an experiment through various musical diasporas and Chaar Diwaari is one of them.
