With the 2026 edition of Berlin Music Video Awards nearing, we are proud to present such a diverse and remarkable jury panel. The new faces of this year bring together an impressive collective of industry leaders, ranging from pioneers of the New Wave and AI-driven surrealism to international drag icons and global creative producers. They will be joining a broader panel of over 30 other industry experts to review this year’s submissions. With expertise spanning from high-end sets to experimental digital art, our jurors are here to find the standout works that define this year’s festival.
Abby Wu
Abby Wu is a Los Angeles-based Creative Producer whose work serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western creative industries. Originally from China, Abby has spent over seven years mastering the art of multi-platform production, spanning film, documentaries, and live performance. She has become a go-to collaborator for the most influential names in the Asian diaspora, including 88rising icons Rich Brian, Jackson Wang, and NIKI, as well as artists like no na and Guapdad4000. Her career is defined by a commitment to fostering community and amplifying diverse voices, ensuring that authentic cultural narratives are given a global stage and a high-end visual language.
Pandora Nox
Pandora Nox is a multidisciplinary force of nature whose impact on pop culture was solidified as the winner of Drag Race Germany Season 1. Making history as the first cisgender woman to win the Drag Race title globally, Pandora has spent her career dismantling traditional gender norms through the lens of performance art. Her creative universe is a dark, high-fashion blend of electronic club music and subversive aesthetics. In 2026, she is undergoing a major evolution, transitioning from a European television icon into a global music artist. Her presence on the jury brings a critical eye for stage presence, costume design, and the intersection of music and identity.
Kim Vizola
Kim’s career as a videographer and director reached a milestone in 2023 when she was named Videografin des Jahres by New Wave Germany. Operating under her signature banner, “Eine Vizola Visuals Experience,” she has crafted the entire visual identity for the artist Beyazz, directing the majority of his cinematic output. Kim’s portfolio is a “who’s who” of German rap, featuring collaborations with SSIO and FGUN $HAKI. Beyond her high-gloss commercial work, she is celebrated for her “Kara Clique” tour vlogs, which have gained a cult following for their ability to merge raw, documentary-style authenticity with a sophisticated “new wave” aesthetic.
Philip Vogt
With a career rooted in the golden age of documentary filmmaking in the early 2000s, Philip brings a deep, technical understanding of the “image” to this year’s panel. As the co-founder of UFO Filmgerät, he has spent over a decade providing the literal tools for Berlin and Munich’s most ambitious productions. While his background includes award-winning documentaries and commercials, his recent work at UFO supports a staggering range of artists; from the minimalist compositions of Nils Frahm and the gritty realism of Sido, to the operatic grandeur of Jonas Kaufmann and even the heavy metal spectacle of Manowar. His perspective balances the logistical grit of production with a high-level appreciation for cinematic craft.
Harshini J. Karunaratne
Harshini J. Karunaratne (they/she) is a Sri Lankan-Peruvian digital artist and curator whose work exists at the intersection of media theory and immersive performance. As the founder of 3AM:ENERGY, MANIFEST:IO, and Berlin New Media Week, Harshini has become a central figure in the European new media scene. Their artistic practice, which often explores themes of eco-grief, gender, and the afterlife, has been showcased at Burning Man, Art Dubai, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lima. Harshini’s expertise in projection design and live visuals allows them to judge music videos not just as screens, but as spatial and psychological experiences
Alisa Fun
Alisa Fun is a Berlin-based makeup artist whose work transcends simple aesthetics to become a form of visual poetry. For Alisa, the face and body are canvases for storytelling, exploring deep-seated themes of identity, emotion, and metamorphosis. Over her years in Berlin, she has become a key collaborator for boundary-pushing musical acts like Dorian Electra, Miss Bashful, Lucky Love, and Chelsea Cutler. Her contribution to the jury is rooted in her ability to see makeup as a tool for emotional exploration, recognizing videos where the “look” is an essential extension of the artist’s inner state.
Lukas Nowacki
Lukas Nowacki represents the darker side of AI-driven cinema. His work breaks traditional narrative in favor of what he describes as “psychological descents”: short, hypnotic loops that feel like unsettling horror fairy tales. Drawing heavy inspiration from surrealism and transgressive cinema, Lukas uses artificial intelligence to create worlds where care morphs into a threat and beauty becomes overwhelming. His anachronistic, visceral style provides a unique perspective on the jury, particularly as we evaluate the rapidly evolving role of generative technology in the music video landscape.
Full 2026 Jury Panel
Alongside our newest members, we are proud to be joined by a distinguished group of returning and international jurors. The full panel for 2026 includes Lena Quist, Nicola D’orta, Fırat Gürgen, Lucy Dyson, Ehsan Haghighat, Thomas Götz von Aust, Christian Pasquariello, Piet Starrett, Tobias Lamp, Alexander Dydyna, Kilian-Davy Baujard, Joséphine Demerliac, David Hantelius, Schall & Schnabel, Stefan Nacke, Robert Royal, Robin Lochmann, Christian Alsan, Kaspar Hornikel, Julia Patey, Inkaa, Rob Myers, Sander Houtkruije, Zoran Bihac, Louis Fleischauer, Volker Langholz, Markus Degen, Melita Radocaj, Christian Luoma, Joe Morel and Jan Burda.
We look forward to the perspectives these jurors will bring to the 2026 competition. Stay tuned for more updates.
