The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is Denmark's oldest and most prestigious music awards ceremony, organized by IFPI Danmark since 1989. Originally called the IFPI Prize, it was renamed the Danish Grammy in 1991, then rebranded as the Danish Music Awards in 2001 after the American Grammy organization trademarked the name. The ceremony honors Danish artists, releases, and producers across 11 categories.
Past Winners by Category
The Danish Music Awards have been held annually since 1989. Below are winners from the four most recent ceremonies. Data is sourced from IFPI Danmark press releases and winner lists.
DMA 2024 (November 28, 2024, The Plant, Copenhagen)
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Honorary Award | MO |
| Danish Album of the Year | Lamin, SkyLL (Universal Music) |
| Danish Group of the Year | Kind mod Kind (Sony Music) |
| Danish Soloist of the Year | Medina (Labelmade) |
| Danish Songwriter of the Year | GIIFT (for work on Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" and Kehlani's "While We Wait 2") |
| Danish Hit of the Year | Gilli and Kesi, "555" (MXIII / Universal Music) |
| New Danish Name of the Year | Annika (Universal Music) |
| Danish Producer of the Year | Anton Westerlin (for work on Lamin's "SkyLL") |
| Danish Live Act of the Year | The Minds of 99 (The Bank Music) |
| New Danish Live Act of the Year | Smag Pa Dig Selv (Stunt / Sundance Records) |
| International Album of the Year | Charli XCX, BRAT (Warner Music) |
| International Hit of the Year | Sabrina Carpenter, "Espresso" (Universal Music) |
DMA 2023 (November 2023, Copenhagen)
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Honorary Award | Alberte Winding |
| Danish Album of the Year | Artigeardit, Laenge Leva (Universal Music) |
| Danish Group of the Year | Ukendt Kunstner (Fortyfive / United Records) |
| Danish Soloist of the Year | Christopher (Parlophone / Warner Music) |
| Danish Hit of the Year | Ida Laurberg and Andreas Odbjerg, "Jeg Ka' Rigtig Godt Li' Dig" (Capitol / Universal Music) |
| Danish Songwriter of the Year | Erika de Casier and Fine Glindvad (for work on NewJeans' "Get Up" EP) |
| New Danish Name of the Year | Ida Laurberg (Capitol / Universal Music) |
| Danish Producer of the Year | Martin Rene, Anton Westerlin, Alibi Rafeon (for work on D1MA's "EV1GT and ALT1D") |
| Danish Live Act of the Year | Artigeardit (Universal Music) |
| New Danish Live Act of the Year | Zar Paulo (The Bank Music) |
| International Album of the Year | Taylor Swift, Midnights (Universal Music) |
| International Hit of the Year | Miley Cyrus, "Flowers" (Sony Music) |
DMA 2022 (November 4, 2022, Copenhagen)
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Honorary Award | Sivas |
| Danish Album of the Year | Gilli, Carnival |
| Danish Group of the Year | The Minds of 99 |
| Danish Soloist of the Year | Tobias Rahim |
| New Danish Name of the Year | Lamin |
| Danish Songwriter of the Year | MO (for "Motordrome") |
| Danish Producer of the Year | Arto Louis Eriksen (for work with Tobias Rahim) |
| Danish Live Act of the Year | Jada |
| New Danish Live Act of the Year | PRISMA |
| Danish Radio Hit of the Year | Andreas Odbjerg, "Hjem Fra Fabrikken" |
| Danish Streaming Hit of the Year | Tobias Rahim, "Mucki Bar" |
| International Album of the Year | Adele, 30 |
| International Hit of the Year | Lizzo, "About Damn Time" |
DMA 2021 (November 20, 2021, Vaerlose)
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Honorary Award | Rasmus Seebach |
| Danish Album of the Year | Artigeardit, "Held and Lykke Med At Komme Hjem" (Universal Music) |
| Danish Group of the Year | B.O.C (Benny Jamz, Gilli, KESI) (MXIII / disco:wax / Sony Music) |
| Danish Soloist of the Year | Drew Sycamore (Warner Music) |
| Danish Radio Hit of the Year | Drew Sycamore, "45 Fahrenheit Girl" (Warner Music) |
| Danish Streaming Hit of the Year | KIDD, "Buongiorno" (Universal Music) |
| New Danish Name of the Year | Andreas Odbjerg (Universal Music) |
| Danish Songwriter of the Year | Andreas Odbjerg |
| Danish Producer of the Year | Sylvester Sivertsen (SLY) (for work with Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, MO, Sigrid) |
| Danish Live Act of the Year | The Minds of 99 (No3 / Sony Music / Luger Denmark) |
| New Danish Live Act of the Year | Tessa (Universal Music / United Stage) |
| International Album of the Year | Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR (Universal Music) |
| International Hit of the Year | Lil Nas X, "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" |
Several trends appear in this data. Artigeardit won Danish Album of the Year twice (2021 and 2023), making him one of the most recognized artists in recent DMA history. The Minds of 99 won Danish Live Act of the Year three times (2021, 2022, 2024), reflecting their stadium-level touring success in Denmark. Anton Westerlin won Danish Producer of the Year in both 2023 and 2024, establishing himself as the dominant producer in Danish music. MO has won across multiple categories over the years, including Songwriter of the Year in 2022 and the Honorary Award in 2024.
Notable DMA Winner Videos
The DMA ceremony is a closed industry event and is not broadcast publicly. However, many DMA winners have official music videos available on YouTube. Below are videos from notable DMA-winning artists.
Volbeat won Danish Live Act of the Year at the DMA in 2010. They remain one of Denmark's most commercially successful rock exports, with multiple platinum certifications and international chart presence. "Shotgun Blues" is from their 2021 album "Servant of the Mind."
MO received the DMA Honorary Award in 2024, recognizing her career spanning over a decade. She also won Danish Songwriter of the Year in 2022 for her album "Motordrome." "Who Said" was released in October 2024 as the lead single from her fourth album "Plaeygirl."
Lukas Graham won Danish Album of the Year at the DMA in 2014 for their self-titled album. "7 Years" became one of Denmark's biggest international hits, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 in multiple countries including the UK, Australia, and Sweden.
How the Danish Music Awards Works
IFPI Danmark, the Danish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, runs the DMA. The organization appoints a DMA Academy of 8 music industry professionals with expertise across genres, gender, age, and ethnicity. This academy handles nominations and winner selection for most categories.
The academy meets on two designated voting days. On the first day, members select nominees across all eligible categories. On the second day, they choose winners from the shortlisted nominees. Both sessions operate under a unanimity rule: voting only closes when all academy members agree. This consensus model distinguishes the DMA from awards that use simple majority voting.
Two categories bypass the academy entirely. Danish Streaming Hit of the Year and Danish Radio Hit of the Year are determined purely by chart data from streaming platforms and radio airplay charts, respectively. The IFPI Danmark board separately selects the recipient of the Honorary Award, which recognizes artists who have made a lasting mark on Danish music.
The 11 award categories cover Danish Album, Group, Soloist, Hit, New Name, Songwriter, Producer, Live Act, New Live Act, International Album, and International Hit. Since 2010, the DMA has focused primarily on Danish artists and releases, with only two categories reserved for international acts.
Real-World Example
At DMA 2024, IFPI Danmark presented 11 awards in collaboration with JBL as a sponsor. The ceremony recognized achievements across Danish album, group, soloist, hit, new name, songwriter, producer, and live act categories, plus two international categories and the Honorary Award. The DMA Academy's 8 members debated and voted on nominees and winners through their two-day consensus process.
As of December 2024, IFPI Danmark paused the main DMA ceremony for 2025 and 2026, with a planned return in 2027 in a renewed format. However, genre-specific DMA events continue. DMA Jazz 2025 took place at Store VEGA in Copenhagen, and DMA Jazz 2026 is scheduled at Bremen Teatre. The pause affects only the main pop/rock ceremony, not the jazz, blues, or folk editions.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The DMA focuses heavily on Danish artists, with 9 of 11 categories dedicated to domestic talent. This creates a more accessible awards platform than international ceremonies like the Grammys, where Danish artists compete against global superstars. Independent Danish artists who chart on streaming or radio platforms automatically qualify for consideration in the Streaming Hit and Radio Hit categories without needing academy nomination.
If you are a Danish artist or producer, track your release timing to fall within the DMA eligibility period. Submit your releases to IFPI Danmark's charts through your distributor. Even a nomination can boost streaming numbers and live booking interest within Denmark. Check the IFPI Danmark website for current rules and eligibility windows, especially with the ceremony paused until 2027.
Related Terms
- Grammy Awards - The American counterpart that forced the DMA name change from Danish Grammy
- Performance Rights Organizations - Danish PROs like KODA collect royalties for DMA-nominated songwriters
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Estimate earnings from the streams that qualify you for DMA chart-based categories
- Publishing Royalty Split Calculator - Calculate splits for songwriters recognized in the DMA Songwriter of the Year category
