Since 1989, Danish Music Awards has been an institution in the commercial part of cultural life - known as “the Danish grammy”, its acknowledged as the industry's oldest award ceremony.

But the identity and logo was outdated. In a digital age, the show's format didn’t catch the public eye as it used to. Through the years they had forgotten what matters: The music.

To keep up with times rather than doing what had always been done, the people behind the event decided to invent a new format - exclusively for the industry and with music at its core.

We needed to create a new brand identity focusing on music, showing the transaction from cable-tv to a digital concept with the music in focus.

Primary objective was to help DMA transition into a digital future, with a graphical, contemporary take celebrating music, artists, and culture.

Research shows that this music-generation is challenging the norms and stereotypes in the industry more than ever before.

Disruption in gender-norms and identity, are clearly showing that the artists are breaking ties with traditions. It’s more about individual expression.

Celebrating artists in the way they already express themselves.

An identity made for music. By music.

With a logo that imitates the expression of an equalizer, it’s dynamic and ever-evolving. Through musical inputs, it creates an expression of each individual artist, making them a personal DMA logo - made by their music.

The award statues were also reinvented. Again an individualised solution was implemented. Digital award statues as NFTs made by the artist’s personalised logo.

A tech-savvy and unique solution well fitting for the identity - and something never seen before in the category.

The design needed to be rooted in each artist's music. We wanted to visualize something as simple, yet complex as sound.

Inspired by an equalizer and with help from audio react effects, the idea was quickly taken shape. With the tool, we were able to connect the visual concept of each pillar, with a frequency - meaning the large fluctuations in the visuals are connected to an instrument.

With the ability to power up the logo, it takes endless shapes and forms through musical input. It moved and shapeshifted throughout the show, depending on the artist on stage, creating a new unique logo for each.

This concept also allowed us to move the physical trophy format into the future - introducing personal NFT awards, just as unique as the artist's logo.

We used a tight grid system, color scheme, and strong typography to add a bold expression throughout the identity.

The identity's distinctive, dynamic logo-system was praised in the industry and artist community:

Reaching 1+ million people through participants' SoMe channels.

100% of nominees shared their unique logo on their SoMe platforms.

The event reached almost 50% of the Danish population through Instagram alone.

The biggest music/culture magazines in the Nordics (Gaffa and Soundvenue), both had feature articles about the new identity.

International artist Lizzo won “Hit of the Year”, and gratefully responded with a video, thanking DMA for the award - moving DMA one step closer to scaling the award concept internationally.

Moreover, the new NFT award format makes Denmark the first country in the world where major music prizes are awarded as digital trophies.

We reached our objective, being the first in the category to step into the digital future with the concept made for the artist’s music. By their music.