Suns Europe: RTZ Kolektiboa becomes the first Basque band to win the jury award
2026/10/13
The jury praised the Bayonne-based rap group for its energy, expressive power and ability to address social issues through music. The festival brought together artists from various minoritised language communities across Europe in Udine, Italy.
Euskara. Kultura. Mundura.
RTZ Kolektiboa has won the international jury award at the 12th edition of Suns Europe 2026, becoming the first band performing in Basque to receive this recognition. The final of the music contest, which brings together artists performing in Europe´s minoritised languages, took place on 10 October at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine in Italy.
Emerging from the creative scene around the Zizpa self-managed cultural centre in Bayonne, the rap group consists of Oph, Frel and Petri, alongside producer DJ Wall. After a year-long break, the group has returned with EDEN, an album that blends rap with influences from other musical genres.
The international jury, chaired by Radio Onde Furlane presenter Paolo Cantarutti, praised the group´s energy and expressive power, as well as "their ability to communicate issues of importance to our society through music" and their commanding stage presence.
The audience award went to Catalan group Ölivias, while the Altre Europe Award, which recognises efforts to promote minoritised languages, was presented to the Premio Ostana project.
A meeting place for artistic creation in Europe´s minoritised languages
Founded in Friuli in 2009, Suns Europe is a festival dedicated to contemporary artistic creation in Europe´s minoritised languages. Through music, film and literature, it fosters connections and cultural exchange between artists from different language communities.
This year´s edition took place from 2 to 10 October in Udine and other towns across Friuli. Artists representing seven language communities took part in the music contest. In addition to RTZ Kolektiboa, the Bilbao-based rave-punk duo ADUR also performed at the festival
Etxepare Basque Institute and Suns Europe
Etxepare Basque Institute has collaborated with Suns Europe for several years to promote the international presence of Basque-language music and artistic creation. Previous editions have featured Basque artists such as Verde Prato, MICE, Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado, Ødei and Olatz Salvador.
Do you want to learn more about Basque music? Download this book for free
Related content
-
First «Ça colle au basque» publication: Itxaro Borda in French
The French translation of Itxaro Borda’s Euri zitalari esker has been presented in Bayonne, the first publication resulting from the «Ça colle au basque» translation call.
-
EAS-EZE: ten years connecting Basque contemporary art with Buenos Aires
EAS-EZE celebrates ten years of connecting contemporary Basque art with Buenos Aires. Jaime de los Ríos and Mikel Otxoteko to present their projects at MUNTREF.
-
Seven university chairs connect Basque perspectives with global debates
Seven Basque Studies chairs within Etxepare Euskal Institutua’s university network will carry out a significant part of their academic activity this autumn at universities in the United States, Canada, Argentina and France.