More than 30 submissions highlight the growing creativity of Azorean musicians and filmmakers ahead of the Azorean Audiovisual Awards ceremony on January 9, 2027, in Madalena, Pico.
The Azores’ music scene is finding an increasingly powerful voice through audiovisual production, as a growing number of musicians and filmmakers turn music videos into an important expression of artistic creativity and cultural identity.
MiratecArts has announced that 24 music videos have qualified for consideration for the PAA – Azorean Audiovisual Awards, following more than 30 submissions from artists and producers associated with the archipelago.
“Production is on the rise,” said Terry Costa, artistic director of MiratecArts, noting that the number of submissions reflects the growing vitality of the region’s audiovisual sector.
To qualify, producers and directors must belong to the MiratecArts network, which includes more than 700 collaborators. Each producer or director may submit no more than two works involving the same musical project.
Fifteen videographers and filmmakers are now among those eligible for consideration in the PAA Music Video category: André Saudade, Artur Benevides, Carolina Vieira, David Medeiros, Diogo Rola, Diogo Teixeira, Filipe Martins do Vale, Francisco Rosas, Luís Xavier, Nelson Correia, Pedro Gaipo, Renato Ramos, Sílvia Melo, Tiago Rosas, and Timothy Lima.
The qualifying productions feature music by a diverse group of Azorean artists and musical projects, including A Dream of Poe, Aníbal Raposo, Antero Ávila, Carmen Raposo, Cristóvam, Dog Meet, Engengroaldenga, FIPOS, João da Ilha, Mariana Pinheiro, Marisa Oliveira, Mund[in]verso, NTK, ORANGE 3, Rafael Carvalho, Rita Costa Medeiros, Romeu Bairos, Sofia Silva & Code, The Quiet Bottom, and Valério.
The initiative recognizes not only the musical talent emerging from the islands but also the creative contributions of directors, videographers, and audiovisual producers whose work brings those compositions to wider audiences.
According to Costa, the awards are intended to increase visibility for creative work produced in the Azores and by Azoreans, introducing audiences to musical projects they may not yet know while recognizing the artistic achievements of music video directors.
MiratecArts is encouraging the public to discover the qualifying productions and support their favorite artists by sharing videos on social media. Links to the eligible works will remain prominently featured on the organization’s Facebook page through November.
The Azorean Audiovisual Awards, a biennial MiratecArts initiative, will hold their next ceremony on January 9, 2027, at the Auditório da Madalena, on Pico Island.
The growing number of productions underscores the expanding relationship between music and filmmaking in the Azores, where audiovisual creativity offers artists new opportunities to reach audiences beyond the geographical boundaries of the archipelago.
For a region whose cultural expression has long traveled through music, poetry, and storytelling, the music video represents another means of carrying Azorean creativity into the wider world.
More information is available at miratecarts.com.
Source and credits: MiratecArts announcement, including statements by artistic director Terry Costa. Adapted into an English-language news story. The 24 productions have qualified for nomination consideration; they have not yet been announced as official nominees or winners.