TuneCore Japan Announces Final 100 Artists for "INDEPENDENT ARTIST 100 - 2026"

TuneCore Japan (operated by TuneCore Japan Co., Ltd., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Eiichiro Noda), a digital music distribution service for independent artists, has announced the final selection of 100 artists for its project "TuneCore Japan INDEPENDENT ARTIST 100 - 2026," which aims to connect to future culture.

The project, which began with a "recommendation phase" launched on February 10, 2026, and further narrowed down from 200 selected artists in a "main voting phase," has now culminated in the final 100 artists. The diverse lineup, symbolizing Japan's independent music scene in 2026, includes artists demonstrating activities with "Impact" as well as promising new talents full of "Potential" to lead the next generation of the scene.

## The Project's Starting Point — Documenting "Ears and Perspectives" That Data Cannot Capture

Currently, over 250 million songs are distributed on music streaming services. While "visible indicators" such as play counts and charts support artists' progress, we believe that the "essence of expression" that data alone cannot capture, and the "passion" that resonates among artists who engage with music daily, are also crucial values that support music culture.

This project was launched with the understanding that recording and celebrating evaluations based on the "ears and perspectives" of independent artists themselves, which algorithms or fan votes alone cannot capture, is a cultural role that only a platform like TuneCore Japan can fulfill. The 100 artists announced this time will be engraved as the first "archive" of this effort.

## Two Axes of Evaluation — "Impact" and "Potential"

"INDEPENDENT ARTIST 100" defines the power to advance the scene with two concepts:

Impact: Artists who embody the advancement of the scene by expanding the possibilities of independent music.

Potential: Artists who foreshadow further advancement of the scene through their unique creative activities.

The final 100 selected artists were chosen along these two axes, along with the "reasons for recommendation" from each voting participant.

## List of 100 Selected Artists (Alphabetical and Japanese Syllabary Order)

11 / 15MUS / 5Leaf / Ámina / Äura / aimi / AIRIE / ANORAK! / ARuM / Awich / AWOL CARTEL / cambelle / cephalo / CIVILIAN / coco. / cono / Daichi Yamamoto / Eminata / farmhouse / Fried Banana Shop / GEZAN / Gottz / Hanemii / HIMI / HoneyWorks / HUGEN / I'm / icn_oO / JaysicK / Jinmenusagi / Julia Takada / KEIJU / killwiz / Kommune / KOTA / Kyiku / Linen Frisco / Manda / Masato Hayashi / maya ongaku / MIKADO / Mili / Mom / MUD / NELKE / nikiie / OKOJO / PM Kenobi / POLTA / PompadollS / Popal Daoud Akira / RAY / redraw / reina / Roka / SHOW-GO / sidenerds / Siero / Skaai / SKRYU / Som / SUKISHA / SUSHIBOYS / SUTEZENI / SWEE / T-STONE / tamanaramen / Tete / the BL00M / Tylan Willetcrass / valknee / YOHLU / YOWLL / ZIN / Kiwako Ajimine / Rinahamu Ichigo / Suu Kiba / Misaki Umei / Kaede / Caffeine Junkie / Kafune / Iori Kanzaki / Kocchi no Kento / Gorilla Matsuri's / Sunny Day Service / Masashiro Shirakami / Super Tozanbu / Shogo Tayama / Cho Yanki's / Top Secret Man / Nakiso / Noishiro / Haruki Hamano / Haruno / Hitohira / PinocchioP / Sho Hoshido / Mizuirazu / Mirai Denpa Kichi / Yukiguni