Cemoir

Cemoir Music Award for International Album of the Year (abbreviated as ICMA) is an annual (fictional) music award presented to the best album of the year primarily recorded in a language other than English.

From 2021 to 2023, the award announced only a single winner each year. In 2021, Italian rapper Blanco won the inaugural ICMA with his debut album Blu Celeste. The award moved to Spain in 2022, when Spanish post-rock band Toundra won with their critically acclaimed album Hex. In 2023, the ICMA was awarded to a Scandinavian country for the first time, with Norway winning through Susanne Sundfør and her album blómi.

In 2024, the ICMA introduced a nomination system for the first time, revealing six nominees: Dillom (Argentina), Clara Luciani (France), Die Nerven (Germany), Tananai (Italy), and Kneecap (Ireland). Kneecap won the award with their debut album Fine Art. In addition to their ICMA victory, the band also won Album of the Year and Debut of the Year at the Cemoir Music Awards (CMAs) 2024, becoming the first act to win biggest prizes both in CMA and in the ICMA in the same year.

Following the success of the 2024 edition, the ICMA expanded into a year-long submission process, opening entries to albums from around the world. In 2025, a total of 51 countries submitted albums, marking the first year under this new international system.

The International Cemoir Music Award 2025 was won by Bad Bunny with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, representing Puerto Rico. This marked Puerto Rico’s first nomination and first victory, as well as the first win by a non-European country in ICMA history. Linda Martini of Portugal finished second with Passa-Montanhas, while Norwegian post-hardcore band Honningbarna placed third with Soft Spot.

In December 2025, Cemoir announced that the International Cemoir Music Award would return for another edition in 2026, continuing its mission to celebrate music on an international scale and to honor the best album of the year primarily recorded in a language other than English. The International Cemoir Music Award 2026 is expected to be presented during the fourth quarter of 2026.