Esther Graf wins Music Artist of the Year at the Vienna Awards 2026

The ceremony took place at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace

The 16th edition of the Vienna Awards for Fashion & Lifestyle took place recently at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, celebrating achievements across fashion, culture, entertainment and business. This year’s ceremony was held under the motto «Women Are – Many Voices. One Vision.» and brought together international celebrities, fashion industry figures and members of Austria’s cultural scene. The evening was hosted by Dutch television presenter Sylvie Meis.

Among the winners was Austrian singer Esther Graf, who received the Music Artist of the Year award. The laudatory speech in her honour was delivered by radio presenter Tina Ritschl. Graf also took to the stage as part of the evening’s musical programme, performing three acoustic songs – two tracks from her latest album «Wofür es sich zu leben lohnt» and the hit «Mama hat gesagt», recorded in collaboration with Sido and SDP.

For the occasion, Esther Graf chose an outfit by Paris-based couture label InClover, founded by designer Gaziza Shabdarbayeva. Following the ceremony, the singer thanked the brand’s team for creating a look that, in her words, made her feel like a real princess. She also expressed her gratitude to Tina Ritschl for her speech, describing it as the sweetest she had ever heard.

Other winners included German supermodel Nadja Auermann, who received the Icon of the Century award, and Henry Samuel, son of Heidi Klum and musician Seal, who was named Model of the Year. Actress Ursula Karven received the Female Empowerment of the Year award, with Barbara Becker delivering the speech in her honour.

The Designer of the Year award went to designer Jasmin Erbas, while influencer Laura Abla was named Style Idol of the Year. Television presenter Silvia Schneider received the Inspiring Excellence Award, and comedian and TV host Michael Buchinger was named Austrian Entertainer of the Year. Maria Hauser received the Entrepreneurial Icon of the Year award, Dominika Gräfin Maldonado was named Business Icon of the Year, and Riccardo Simonetti’s initiative received the Social Impact Award. The special Magazine of the Year award went to Kerstin Weng, editor-in-chief of VOGUE Germany, who represented VOGUE Austria.

The fashion programme featured two couture shows. The Paris-based label InClover presented its creations, followed by the evening’s closing show by Berlin-based designer Jasmin Erbas. After the ceremony, guests continued the celebrations at a party in the Hofburg Palace, where Elias Becker – son of former tennis player Boris Becker – surprised attendees with an impromptu DJ set.