Cemoir

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

Bad Bunny won the International Cemoir Music Award (ICMA) 2025 with the entry “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” representing Puerto Rico. This marked Puerto Rico’s first nomination and first victory in the ICMA. Linda Martini of Portugal placed second with “Passa-Montanhas,” while Norwegian post-hardcore band Honningbarna finished third with “Soft Spot.”

From 2021 to 2023, the award only announced a single winner each year. In 2024, for the first time, six nominees were revealed. The Irish band 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, making a history for winning both a CMA and the ICMA.

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

The Longlist was announced on November 3, 2025. A total of 24 countries, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, were included on the list.

The Shortlist was announced on November 13th, 2025, consisting of the following 12 countries: Argentina, Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Palestine, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Sweden.

Continental Breakdown of the Shortlist:
– Europe (7) / Austria, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
– Asia (2) / Japan, Palestine
– North America (2) / Mexico, Puerto Rico
– South America (1) / Argentina

The eight nominees for the International Cemoir Music Award 2025 were announced on 16 November 2025, during the official showcase and presentation of all categories of the Cemoir Music Awards 2025. The nominated artists are: Abor & Tynna (Austria), Heisskalt (Germany), Natalia Lafourcade (Mexico), Honningbarna (Norway), Linda Martini (Portugal), Bad Bunny (Puerto Rico), Guitarricadelafuente (Spain), and Svart Ridå (Sweden).

If nominations and wins from the former system are taken into account, this marks Germany’s second nomination, following their 2024 appearance with Die Nerven. Similarly, Norway, which won the ICMA in 2023 with Susanne Sundfør, and Spain, which won the award in 2022 with Toundra, have each secured their first nominations under the new system.