We've won a Musos Award

Posted on February 13, 2026

Sky presents the Isle of Wight Festival was honoured with yet another accolade last night, receiving the 2026 Musos Festival Award.

The award, presented during a ceremony at Electric Ballroom in Camden celebrating the best of the UK music scene, recognises the festival’s unique ability to deliver performances by world-class indie artists alongside some of the biggest names in music.

The win comes as the festival enters a busy 2026 season, having recently highlighted its ongoing commitment to the next generation of talent. The festival continues to champion both Hot Vox and their New Blood initiative, as well as the Wight Noize competition, which in 2026 will once again give emerging artists based on the island the life-changing opportunity to open the iconic Main Stage. This long-standing initiative, in partnership with Platform One, remains a cornerstone of the festival’s mission to support the grassroots circuit alongside its blockbuster headliners.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Platform One, eligibility for Wight Noize applicants has been expanded to artists aged 16-30, opening the Main Stage dream to a wider range of artists. 2025 winners 5 Degrees North described the experience as “such an incredible experience… To anyone thinking of applying - never get disheartened and just give it a shot!”

Applications for emerging artists to enter the Wight Noize competition are now open.

Speaking about the MUSOs award, John Giddings said:

“Coming from the MUSOs, this means a lot because it recognises the specific atmosphere we work so hard to create. We want the Isle of Wight to be a place where you can see a legendary act and then walk across the field with your family to discover the next big thing. We love what we do, and we truly appreciate the people who make the journey over the Solent to celebrate with us.”

After accepting the award, Giddings returned to the stage later that evening to surprise Mikey Jonns with a special award honoring his tireless dedication to championing grassroots artists through the This Feeling stage.

There was also success for Festival favourites, the This Feeling graduates, The K's as lead guitarist Ryan Breslin picked up the guitar award, Sam Birchall from The Lilacs was awarded a survivors prize after successfully fighting off cancer in 2025, and The Clause won best album for their debut Victim of a Casual Thing.

The 2026 festival is set to be one of its biggest yet, with a lineup featuring Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris, and The Cure, alongside Wet Leg, The Kooks, The Ks, Tom Grennan, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, The Last Dinner Party and many more.