The second phase of the Raccoon Music Award 2025-'26, the contest promoted by OndaRock, is about to kick off at Let It Beer in Rome.
The five evenings staged at Let It Beer saw twenty proposals from the under 30 scene alternate, drawing an eclectic sound map that ranges from the return of acoustic folk to urban experimentations, passing through hyper-pop. Here's the bottom line on the rankings and how the tournament works.
The protagonists at the top
At the end of the first round of voting (Technical Jury + Public), the provisional ranking sees Con in the lead 56 points Hibiscus. The lineup convinced across the board by combining R&B and Hip Hop with the elegance of the sax, defined by critics as one of the best surprises for the band's amalgam. In second place (54 points) is placed BEABIthanks to a Pop proposal with an international flavor and impeccable vocal control.
The third step (50 points) is shared by two opposing souls of the contest: on the one hand Delilah Earnshawwhich brought a synth-pop show choreographed with references to Lady Gaga and Britney Spears; on the other i Make It Onetechnically excellent in their crazy Zappa-style rock. They close the top of the “Top 6” (49 points) the singer-songwriter with the scratchy timbre of LOE and the expressive urgency of Upneapraised for the fusion of urban mood, political rap and punk attitude.
The Rules: the race towards the Wishlist
It is important to underline that no artists were eliminated. In fact, the format involves a ranking based on the sum of points: all 20 competing projects will return to perform in second roundexpected from January 13th always at Let It Beer. Only at the end of the second phase, by adding the scores obtained in the two performances, the best ones 12 ranked will access the semi-finals, which will be held in the historic stage of the Wishlist on March 13th and April 3rd.
Below is the complete ranking with which we will start again in January:
- Hibiscus – 56 pts
- BEABI – 54 pts
- Delilah Earnshaw – 50 pts
- Make It One – 50 pts
- LOE – 49 pts
- Upnea – 49 pts
- Celestial body – 45 pts
- Alchemists Anonymous – 44 pts
- Mind Your Step – 44 pts
- Wild Mint – 44 pts
- Scar – 42 pts
- Flowhertz – 40 pts
- Carla Alejandra – 39 pts
- Breeze – 37 pts
- Chiara Osso – 35 pts
- Emile & Adriano – 35 pts
- Roberta Cassarino – 35 pts
- Steinum – 35 pts
- Sara Angotzi – 34 pts
- IlFitch – 33 pts
The appointment is now set for the second round, starting from January 13th again at Let It Beer, where the artists will be asked to confirm or subvert expectations by working on unreleased songs and stage presence. Don't miss it!
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
