The MUZ-TV Award surprised the audience with a grandiose show and bold duets

In the world of show business, the stars played their creative roles at the MUZ-TV 2026 Awards. Unexpected duets, bold collaborations and impressive stage solutions. Correspondent Kristina Morozova told Izvestia how it was and how the audience remembered it.

The movement of the country's main music award is set by a powerful DJ set from the legends of electronic music. With each number, the most unexpected duets appear on stage. Who would have thought that after almost 40 years, the national hit about "Chistye Prudy" would sound with the voice of Philip Kirkorov accompanied by The Hatters.

"It seems to me that MUZ-TV has finally grown up to this feature, and we, in general, too, it's unexpected and interesting," said Yuri Muzychenko, frontman of The Hatters.

Grigory Leps sang with Lesha Svik, Dima Bilan sang with Anna Asti, and Vladimir Presnyakov sang with Eva Vlasova. It was a great performance, and the singer practically sailed to the stage on a huge boat through the air.

"I'm ready for everything. I just realized at some point in my life that I had to face my fears," said singer Eva Vlasova.

The main theme of this year is movement, and here it is in every detail — sound, set design, show, special effects and a stage that was created specifically for this award.

"Everything that's hanging on the ceiling right now is flying. Here is all the light that is hanging, this is the stage, it will be lowered, the artists will work on it," explained Felix Mikhailov, director of the MUZ-TV Award 2026.

The most anticipated premiere of the evening is a new song by Polina Gagarina and Sergey Lazarev. She appeared online a few days ago, live, on a big stage, playing for the first time. The star couple has not yet received an award for this song, but both artists took plates in other nominations. Polina Gagarina is in the cover category, and Sergey Lazarev is for the best video. Zivert has the status of the main performer. In addition, the singer took two more awards, it was not easy to hold back tears when going on stage.

"I do not know what I did so well in my previous life that I was so lucky to meet all the people with whom we do all this together," admitted singer Julia Zivert.

The band from Neftekamsk "Bond with a Button" was considered the breakthrough of the year, The Hatters were the best band.

"It is very interesting to introduce young artists to masters, masters to young artists, to relevant ones. To persuade them to do some kind of collaborations, fits, some kind of joint work and numbers. For example, they get to know each other and even become friends from the same generational battle," added Zakhar Babin, Director General of MUZ—TV.

Representatives of the so-called old school appreciate this friendship.

"Young people make music, young people set trends, but based on old people. That is, they respect the generation that came before them, they are familiar with all musical concepts, on the basis of which they move on and develop," said singer Lolita.

"This award is primarily in the field of achievements in show business. It's not just about music, it's about effort, about the path of life, about passion, about entrepreneurship, about respect for colleagues, about the ability to behave," said Vadim Samoilov, the leader of the Agatha Christie group.

The award is also about new trends. MUZ-TV has been defining the main musical trends for 30 years.

"The 21st MUZ-TV Award ceremony is not only a show, but also a bright page in the history of Russian pop music. This is exactly what an industry that is in constant motion should be like," the correspondent concluded.

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MUZ-TV CEO Zakhar Babin said at a gala dinner at the Moscow Marriott Imperial Plaza hotel on April 23 that this year music experts had shown increased activity in forming shortlists for the MUZ-TV 2026 Award called "Movement". It was clarified that the guests of the gala dinner were the nominees and winners of previous years, representatives of the expert jury, producers and representatives of show business.