Isle Of Wight Festival Wins 2026 Musos Award
- Dominic Kureen
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Isle of Wight Festival has picked up another major accolade – taking home the 2026 Musos Festival Award during a ceremony in London.
The award was presented at Electric Ballroom and recognises the festival’s ability to bring together world-class indie acts alongside some of the biggest names in music.
Organisers say the win comes at a busy time for the festival, which continues to highlight its commitment to supporting new talent through initiatives including Hot Vox, New Blood and the long-running Wight Noize competition.
In 2026, Wight Noize is once again offering Isle of Wight based emerging artists the chance to open the festival’s iconic Main Stage – a partnership with Platform One that remains central to the event’s grassroots mission.
To mark Platform One’s 25th anniversary, eligibility for Wight Noize has been expanded to artists aged 16 to 30, opening the opportunity to a wider creative community.
Last year’s winners, 5 Degrees North, described the experience as “such an incredible opportunity,” encouraging others to apply.
Applications for this year’s Wight Noize competition opened earlier this week.
Speaking after receiving the award, festival promoter 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.”
Later in the evening, John returned to the stage to present a special award to Mikey Jonns, recognising his dedication to championing grassroots artists through the This Feeling stage.
The 2026 Isle of Wight Festival is shaping up to be one of its biggest yet, with headline acts including Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris and The Cure.
They’ll be joined by Wet Leg, The Kooks, The Ks, Tom Grennan, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, The Last Dinner Party and many more.
Originally revived in 2002, the Isle of Wight Festival has grown into one of the UK’s best-loved summer events, famed for mixing legendary heritage acts with rising stars – and for giving Island talent a unique platform on a global stage.