The five finalists have been revealed Tenco 2026 license platesthe award given since 1984 to the best songwriting records of the year. The announcement arrived on Monday 29 June and from today the second round of voting begins, the run-off, which will end on 7 July and will decide the winners of each section.
The nominated works are voted by a jury of experts, journalists and professionals chosen by the Club Tenco. The records made available to the public between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026 fall within the reference period. There are six competing categories, and in one of these, the Best Single Song, the finalist songs are six instead of five due to a tie.
Tenco Plaques 2026: the finalists for the Best Album Ever
In the main category, that of Best Album Overall, he figures among others Caparezza with Orbit Orbitthe comic book album that was the best-selling album in physical format in Italy in 2025. This is the complete top five, in alphabetical order.
| Album | Artist |
|---|---|
| A place on earth | Erica Boschiero |
| Orbit Orbit | Caparezza |
| A very long shadow | Andrea Laszlo De Simone |
| And then choose your words carefully | Mauro Ermanno Giovanardi |
| Disenchantment | Madame |
Best album in dialect and Best first work album
In the section dedicated to the Best album in dialect or in a minority language spoken in Italy they stand out Carmen Consoli with Amuri lights And Daniele Sepe with Captain Capitone & the Brothers of the Coast. This is the fifth.
| Album | Artist |
|---|---|
| Ce Sta Sempe Na Via | Roberto Colella |
| Amuri lights | Carmen Consoli |
| Root | Francesca Incudine |
| Zenta | Chiara Raggi |
| 40N 14E | Daniele Sepe / Captain Capitone & the Brothers of the Coast |
Five projects compete for Best First Album, reserved for the first long-form album.
| Album | Artist |
|---|---|
| Bitte Leben | Frankly |
| Black Jewelry | Sara Gioielli |
| It's recording audio… | Piji |
| Crooked souls | Santamarea |
| Satanango | Satanango |
Best Performer Album
The section that rewards the best album by a performer sees in the competition, among others, Tosca with Feminae And Olden with an album dedicated to Fanigliulo.
| Album | Artist |
|---|---|
| Avincola sings Carella | Bind it |
| Dduje paravise | Gnut & Alessandro D'Alessandro |
| Fanigliulo, the artist | Olden |
| The roots and the moon | PAO |
| Feminae | Tosca |
Best single song: six finalists for ex aequo
The category of Best Single Song, whose prize goes to the authors of the song, this year has six finalists instead of five due to a tie. In the race, among others, Toe in the sore with How annoying! And Tosca with Spring.
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| Zero Years | Mauro Ermanno Giovanardi |
| How annoying! | Toe in the sore |
| Palestine, land of pain | Moni Ovadia, Giovanna Famulari, Michele Gazich |
| Spring | Tosca |
| What must be will be | Emma Nolde |
| Foreigner | Bianca D'Aponte |
Best project album
The six sections close with the Best Project Album, the award for which goes to the producer. Several finalists linked to tributes and collective projects.
| Project album |
|---|
| 80 Happy Birthday Ivan (live in Teramo) |
| Happy Birthday Elvis Covered |
| Penelope's secret – SBAM Collective |
| We, Piero – Jambona Collective |
| LAZY – Teramo plays Ivan |
Tenco Award 2026: the dates at the Ariston
The Tenco Award 2026 will be held on 22, 23 and 24 October at the Ariston Theater in Sanremo. The event dedicated to songwriting, which has over 50 years of history, will also award the Tenco Lifetime Achievement Award, the Tenco Award to the Cultural Operator and the Yorum Award, established in 2020 in collaboration with Amnesty International Italia to give visibility to artists who fight for human rights and freedom of expression around the world.
Season ticket presales are already available online on the Club Tenco website and at the Ariston box office, while from 1 July tickets for individual evenings will also be available for purchase. For the first time there is a 15% discount on subscriptions dedicated to under 25s, valid only for purchases at the box office.
