MUMBAI: The 5th edition of the Clef Music Awards took place on September 19, 2025, at the Westin Garden City in Mumbai, marking another milestone in India’s largest independent music awards ceremony. The prestigious event brought together artists, musicians, and industry professionals from across the country and beyond, celebrating excellence in independent music.
The ceremony witnessed remarkable success stories from diverse musical backgrounds. Fijian singer Sumeet Tappoo emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night, securing four prestigious CLEF Music Awards 2025 after being nominated in nine categories. Tappoo’s wins came for his two albums titled ‘Dil Pareshan Karta Hai’ and ‘Legacy’, showcasing the awards’ international reach and recognition of quality music regardless of geographical boundaries.
In a groundbreaking achievement for regional music, the K3M Band won the Best Regional English Rock Song award, bringing immense pride to their community and demonstrating the platform’s commitment to recognizing diverse musical expressions.
This year’s ceremony promised to be bigger and better, with some of the biggest music stars marking their presence. The event saw participation from major music labels, reinforcing the awards’ credibility and importance in the music industry ecosystem.
The comprehensive nature of the awards was evident in its structure, with the platform bringing together a diverse range of talent from across India, including Musicians, Lyricists, Composers, Bands, and Record Labels.
Platform for Independent Music Excellence
The Clef Music Awards 2025 reinforced its position as India’s premier platform for independent music recognition. The awards ceremony’s commitment to celebrating diverse musical talent was evident in the range of winners, from international artists like Sumeet Tappoo to regional rock bands like K3M Band.
The event’s success demonstrates the growing importance of independent music in India’s cultural landscape and the need for dedicated platforms that recognize artistic excellence beyond mainstream commercial music. By honoring talent across various categories and regions, the Clef Music Awards continues to play a crucial role in nurturing and celebrating India’s rich musical diversity.
Please check full winners list of CMA- 2025 here:
| Category | Project Title | Winner Name |
| Business>Best Marketing Done by an Organization for Music | Shaky by Sanju Rathod | Believe Artist Services |
| Business>Best Brand Collaboration with an Artist/Label/Festival | Maati x boAt | Ratiyaan |
| Devotional>Best Album | Shri Ram Chandra Kripalu Bhajman | N A Classical Audio Cassettes Co. |
| Devotional>Best Artist | Legacy | Anup Jalota & Sumeet Tappoo |
| Devotional>Best Composer | Vighnaharta Tu Morya | Sanket Shirke |
| Devotional>Best Lyricist | Ganga Ji Ko Swach Rakhenge – Mahakumbh | Sri Narayan Agarwal |
| Devotional>Best Song | Shri Ram Chandra Kripalu Bhajman | Sonu Nigam & Dharini Thakkar |
| Devotional>Best Song | Damroo Bajaye | Abhijeet Ghoshal |
| Devotional>Best Regional Song/Album – Marathi | Aamhi Warkari | Nikhl & Siddhesh |
| Devotional>Best Regional Song/Album – Telugu | Siva Leela | Nookala Venkata Narasimha Murthy |
| Devotional>Best Regional Song/Album – Haryanvi | Nache Bholenath | Ajay Bhagta |
| Electronic>Best Composer | Subject to Re-Examination | Rajhesh Panchanadhan |
| Electronic>Best Lyricist | Heartbeat | IGNEIT aka Vikas Makasare |
| Electronic>Best Artist | Admire | Prajyot P Khawaskar |
| Electronic>Best Regional Song/Album – Telugu | I Miss You | Rajman |
| Electronic>Best Regional Song/Album – Bengali | Pakhna Mele | Ujjaini Mukherjee |
| Electronic>Best Song | Techno Girl | Jaimin Rajani |
| Folk>Best Lyricist | Piye Ne Bheji Paati | Lalita Goenka |
| Folk>Best Composer | Ratiyaan | Sagnik Kolay |
| Folk>Best Regional Song/Album – Kannada | Keliri Keliri (Anti-Tobacco Awareness Song) | S. J. Jananiy |
| Folk>Best Artist | Akhiyan Te Ja Ladiyan | Daler Mehndi |
| Folk>Best Song | Holiya Mein Ude Re Gulal | Tips Music Limited |
| General>Vocalist of the Year – Female | Kehna Galat Galat | Jyoti Nooran |
| General>Vocalist of the Year – Male | Aaj Bhi 2 | Vishal Mishra |
| General>Title Track of the Event | Rhythm of Life – Building Brand Bharat – WMG | Ashwin P Kumar |
| General>Song of the Year | Kafkaesque Yeh Life | Anirban Ajoy Das |
| General>Music Director | Ranjhana | Dhrruv Dhalla |
| General>Music Director | Swapnala Naava | Pardhu Nemani |
| General>Song Producer – Technical Category (Programming and Arranging) | Mahatripurasundari | Anil Nallan Chakravarthy |
| General>Background Score | Mithya Season 2 | Nirmal pandya |
| General>Album of the Year | I M Possible | NIJJAR |
| General>Best Music Video | Kehna Galat Galat | Dhruwal & Jigar Mulani |
| General>Indie Band of the Year | Muzmahil by AAHRMb | Arriv Madan, Hitesh Rikki Madan, Advy Madan |
| General>Lyricist of the Year | Dil Pareshan Karta Hai | Gulzar |
| General>Music Composer of the Year | Aankh | Prateeksha Srivastava, Aman Khare, Paurush Kumar |
| Ghazal>Best Album | Dil Pareshan Karta Hai | Sumeet Tappoo, Gulzar & Pt. Bhavdeep Jaipurwale |
| Ghazal>Best Artist | Mohabbat Teri | Sohini Dey |
| Ghazal>Best Composer | Legacy | Prithvi Gandharv |
| Ghazal>Best Song | Ek Puraani Baat | Vishal Raj Chhabria |
| Ghazal>Best Song | Shaam Se Aaj | Muheet Bharti |
| Ghazal>Best Lyricist | Aakhirash Kya Unhe Janaab Du Main | Chhetnaa Kapoor |
| Hindustani Classical>Best Regional Song/Album – Bengali | Ekhono Nishi | Ujjaini Mukherjee, Shridar Nagraj, Ritajaya Banerjee |
| Hindustani Classical>Best Composer | Swar Lahari | Avra Banerjee |
| Hindustani Classical>Best Artist | Legacy | Anup Jalota & Sumeet Tappoo |
| Hindustani Classical>Best Album | Swar Lahiri | Avra Banerjee |
| Indian Cinema>Best Music Director | Devara | Anirudh Ravichander |
| Indian Cinema>Best Music Arranger and Programmer | Ranjhana | Dhrruv Dhalla |
| Indian Cinema>Best Background Score | Devara | Anirudh Ravichander |
| Indian Cinema>Best Duet | Naamumkin – Maalik | Varun Jain & Shreya Ghoshal |
| Indian Cinema>Best Female Playback Singer | Main Nachdi – Saunkan Saunkanay 2 | Nimrat Khaira |
| Indian Cinema>Best Lyricist | Maalik | Amitabh Bhattacharya |
| Indian Cinema>Best Film Song | Devara | Anirudh Ravichander |
| Instrumental Talent>Best Flautist | Rhythm of Plants | P. M. K. Naveen Kumar |
| Instrumental Talent>Best Guitarist | Dekh Le! India | Lokesh Bakshi |
| Instrumental Talent>Best Drummist | Better Than Sax 2 | Darshan Doshi |
| Instrumental Talent>Best Pianist | The Cosmic Ocean | Tazim Sheikh |
| Instrumental Talent>Best Violinist | Behag Tillana | Aditya Ravidas, Abhinav Iyengar, Saketh PV |
| Kids Special: Under 18 Years>Best Album | Shiv Tandav Stotram | Jai Jai TV |
| Kids Special: Under 18 Years>Best Song | Mistress of Clockwork | Mahati Subramaniam & Disha Reddy |
| Kids Special: Under 18 Years>Best Artist | Mistress of Clockwork | Mahati Subramaniam |
| Pop>Best Song | Shaky | Sanju Rathod |
| Pop>Best Song | Ehsaas | Faheem Abdullah, Duha Shah, Vaibhav Pani & Hyder Dar |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Bengali | Keno Ei Mone | Sonu Nigam |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Chhattisgarhi | Handa | Swapneel Jaiswal |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Gujarati | Samay | Vianet Gujarati |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Haryanvi | La La La | VYRL Haryanvi (Universal Music Group) |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Marathi | Shaky | Sanju Rathod |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Odia | Rasia Maguchhi Gela | Global Music Junction |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Punjabi | MAESTRO | Gurnam Bhullar |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Tamil | Naan Vaanil Parappen | S. J. Jananiy |
| Pop>Best Regional Song/Album – Telugu | I Miss You | Rajman |
| Pop>Best Lyricist | Samay | Sanskar Vaidya |
| Pop>Best Lyricist | Flow | Tanya Ravidas & Disha Reddy |
| Pop>Best Album | Without Prejudice | Guru Randhawa |
| Pop>Best Artist | Sahiba | Jasleen Royal |
| Pop>Best Artist | Aankh | Sunidhi Chauhan |
| Pop>Best Composer | Raatein Guzaari | Aditya Rikhari |
| Pop>Best Composer | Tuzhi Bhet Hota | Nupoora Niphadkar |
| Rap>Best Album | Monopoly Moves | King |
| Rap>Best Lyricist – English | Run It Up | Hanumankind |
| Rap>Best Lyricist – Hindi | Ek Din | The Siege |
| Rap>Best Artist | Big Dawgs | Hanumankind |
| Rap>Best Regional Song/Album – Haryanvi | Russian Bandana | VYRL Haryanvi (Universal Music Group) |
| Rap>Best Song | Big Dawgs | Hanumankind, ft.Kalmi |
| Rock>Best Song | Bhajan Rock – A Hollow Hymn | Rajhesh Panchanadhan |
| Rock>Best Regional Song/Album – English | Pandemic | K3M |
| Rock>Best Regional Song/Album – Naga | Asen Lima | Abiogenesis |
| Rock>Best Lyricist | Dekh Le! India | Lokesh Bakshi |
| Rock>Best Artist | Aabshaaro | Farhan Akhtar |
| Rock>Best Composer | Muzmahil by AAHRMb | Arriv Madan, Hitesh Rikki Madan, Advy Madan |
| Special Awards>Song Producer | Rhythm of Plants | P. M. K. Naveen Kumar |
| Special Awards>Best Instrumental Song | Harmony of Rhapsody | Avra Banerjee |
| Special Awards>Music Mix Engineer | I Am Flying High | S. J. Jananiy |
| Special Awards>Best Background Score (OTT / TV / Podcast) | HeartBeats | Sunny Subramanian |
| Sufi>Best Artist | Legacy | Anupo Jalota & Sumeet Tappoo |
| Sufi>Best Composer | Badastoor | Ajay Singha |
| Sufi>Best Lyricist | Dukh Baat Le | Vikki Nagar |
| Sufi>Best Album | Aaj Tona | Chintoo Singh Wasir |
| Sufi>Best Song | Kehna Galat Galat | Javed Mohsin, Jyoti Nooran, Kunaal Vermaa |
| Fusion>Best Traditional-Modern Fusion Artist | Beats and Winds | Hrishikesh Majumdar & Shikhar Naad Qureshi |
| Fusion>Best Genre-Fusion Artist | The Cosmic Ocean | Tazim Sheikh |
| Fusion>Best Cultural Music Fusion Artist | Naan Oru Vilayattu Bommaiya | Kavitha Jayaraman |
| Category | Sub – Category | Winner |
| Editorial Choice | Excellence in Marathi Music | Vaishali Samant |
| Editorial Choice | Heartfelt Indie Track of the Year | Parth Chauhan for Apna Ghar |
| Editorial Choice | Most Iconic Singer of the Year | Shilpa Rao |
| Editorial Choice | Most Versatile Voice in the Industry | Shalmali Kholgade |
| Editorial Choice | Greatest Generational Talent Music Director | Anu Malik |
| Editorial Choice | Best Female Hitmaker of the Year | Madhubanti Bagchi |
| Editorial Choice | Rising Star of the Year | Rishabh Kant |
| Editorial Choice | AI Innovator of the Year | Madverse Music – Rohan Neesho Jain |
| Editorial Choice | Best Sound Quality | Sennheiser |
| Editorial Choice | Social Media Sensation | GINI |
| Editorial Choice | Excellence in Music Training & Mentorship | True School Of Music |
| Editorial Choice | Lifetime Achievement – Indian Literature & Cinema | Gulzar |
| Editorial Choice | Best Boy Group – Hip Hop | OutStation |
| Editorial Choice | Best Girl Group – Hip Hop | Wild Wild Women |