Best New Band: Shortparis

Shortparis turned from a relatively obscure indie rock band with a cult following into a major phenomenon this year. They featured as a headliner at every other festival in 2019, easily packed the largest venues in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and organized provocative performances with political undertones, like the one with prominent theater director Maksim Didenko that took place at Forma festival with actors in police uniforms engaging in a kind of an orgy. At the Jager Music Awards Shortparis came away with most of the awards: “Band of the Year,” “Single of the Year” and “Video of the Year.”