MUMBAI: For the sixth consecutive year, the MTV Europe Music Awards identified and acknowledged regional nominees from around the world, and singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad won the 'Best Indian Act', a category first introduced in 2012. The musician becomes the first Indian singer-songwriter to claim the award.

The Delhi-based musician beat fellow nominees Monica Dogra, Uday Benegal, Bandish Projekt and Anoushka Shankar in the process. This was the first time Kuhad was nominated for the prestigious annual event celebrating music around the world, and the announcement suggests the artist’s growth on the international front has received a formal approval through the latest development. The 'Raat Raazi' singer continues to create an impression beyond India representing an evolving community of singer-songwriters.

The award hardly comes as a surprise considering how the musician has been a fairly regular invitee to global music showcases (like SXSW), and the compositions dominating the Apple India charts further boost his professional identity.  

Last year, actress-singer Priyanka Chopra bagged the same category, beating Monica Dogra, Indus Creed, Your Chin and The Ska Vengers. 2013 and 2014 belonged to rapper Honey Singh who won the awards two years in a row beating AR Rahman and Vishal Dadlani in the respective years. Nagaland rock act ‘Alobo Naga & The Band’ remains the only Indian rock band to have won the honour, a year after Mumbai metal band Scribe was nominated in 2011 (but failed to win the category).

The 2016 EMA declared Canadian songwriter Shawn Mendes as the ‘Best Male’ musician, whereas Lady Gaga took home ‘Best Female’. Justin Bieber won ‘Best Song’ (for Sorry) and ‘Best Fans’ categories, while Gaga’s second honour came through ‘Best Look’. The video for The Weeknd’s collaboration with Daft Punk titled ‘Starboy’ claimed the 'Best video.'

Check out the other winners