The Elements Music Wins Best in Show at 2026 AMP Awards
The Elements Music, and Droga5 Music Supervisors Mike Ladman and Mara Techam, won the Ryan Barkan Best in Show Award at the 14th annual AMP Awards for Music & Sound, taking home the trophy for its music supervision of the General Motors ad, “See You On The Road,” which reimagines the Elvis Presley classic “If I Can Dream” — reinterpreting the song’s instrumentation as steps in the automaker’s manufacturing process. The ad also took home three additional awards in the categories of Outstanding Music Supervision: Commercials or Branded Content, Outstanding Adaptation or Arrangement, and Unique Production Technique.
The awards were presented at a sold-out event held at Sony Hall in New York on Wednesday, May 20, presided over by the AMP Awards Committee and the competition’s 2026 Show Chairperson, Daniel Kuypers, Head of Music, Omnicom Production.
The only other multiple-category winner this year was SUPREME MUSIC, which won Outstanding Original Score and Outstanding Mix for the “No Project Without Drama” ad for the European home-improvement store Hornbach.
To view all the 2026 winning entries, go here.
The full list of 2026 AMP Awards winners includes:
Ryan Barkin Best In Show
The Elements Music
General Motors
“See You On The Road”
Outstanding Adaptation or Arrangement
Sponsored by Reservoir
The Elements Music
General Motors
“See You On The Road”
Outstanding Artist + Brand Collaboration
Omnicom Production
Mastercard
“Lady Gaga, Fan to Featured”
Outstanding Original Song
Walker
Life360
“I Think Of You (Dying) | Family-Proof Your Family”
David and Jan Horowitz Outstanding Original Score
Supreme Music
HORNBACH
“No Project Without Drama”
Outstanding Sonic Identity
Antfood
Netflix Animation Studios
“Netflix Animation Studios Sonic Identity”
Outstanding Music Supervision: Commercials or Branded Content
Sponsored by Primary Wave Music
The Elements Music
General Motors
“See You On The Road”
Outstanding Use of Licensed Pre-Existing Recording
Sponsored by Music Alternatives
Duotone Audio Group Ltd.
Pringles
“Pringleleo”
Outstanding Use of Music and Sound in Non-Traditional Media or Experiential/Events
Storefront Music
Eurofarma and Cherab Foundation
“Autism Rocks”
Outstanding Mix
Supreme Music
HORNBACH
“No Project Without Drama”
Outstanding Use of Music From a Production Music Library (tie)
Asche & Spencer
AstraZeneca
“The Power of Early”
Extreme Music
Netflix
“Trainwreck: Poop Cruise”
Outstanding Use of Music in a Trailer or Promo for Film, TV, or Video Game
Sponsored by APM Music
Tempest
Warner Brothers
“One Battle After Another” Official Trailer
Outstanding Sound Design
Q Department
Google DeepMind
“ANCESTRA”
Unique Production Technique
The Elements Music
General Motors
“See You On The Road”
Many Standout Moments:
The AMP Awards presentation featured a number of memorable moments that made the event even more meaningful for those in attendance, as well as for the larger advertising music community. The event began with an invite-only VIP Nominee Celebration (Sponsored by ABKCO), followed by an extended cocktail party.
When the lights dimmed at 8:30 pm, the audience was treated to a hilarious, pretaped “Behind The Music”-inspired mockumentary about Boomer, the boombox head AMP character created by agency TiNY, New York, that was ubiquitous on social media and IRL in the weeks leading up to the AMP Awards. The film, which featured remembrances from music icons like Vin Rock (Naughty By Nature), Howard Jones, and Leo Sayer, remembered moments in their careers when Boomer played a huge role.
Just as the film ended, showing Boomer arriving at Sony Hall and descending its art deco stairs, the curtains parted and out strode the real Boomer performing a custom-made rap that name-checked some of the talented folks in the audience.
Boomer then introduced standup comic Erin Maguire, who served as the host for the evening – another AMP Awards first. Maguire entertained the AMP audience with a short stand-up routine that found the humor in the world of music and sound for advertising.
TBWA\Chiat\Day Joins AMP Hall of Fame:
Another highlight was the induction of TBWA\Chiat\Day into the AMP Hall of Fame, marking only the second time the Association of Music Producers has honored an agency. Last year, the Hall of Fame honors went to Wieden + Kennedy, while previously the honor went solely to brands like Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and adidas. Accepting on behalf of TBWA\Chiat\Day was Emily Wilcox, CEO of the agency's New York office.
Another memorable moment came courtesy of outgoing AMP President Matt Nelson, who welcomed the new AMP leadership team, which includes incoming AMP National President Amy Crawford, East Coast President Adrian Womack, and West Coast President Jean Scofield, which gave way to the giveaway of a new Fender Strat, courtesy of AMP Awards Gold sponsor, Stephen Arnold Music.
The show closed with an energetic performance from Duain Richmond, featuring Chop and Quench aka The Fela! Band, that perfectly captured the joy of Fela Kuti's music, the legendary Nigerian musician and activist. The AMP stage was graced with two performers who portrayed Kuti on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical FELA! – Richmond, the Sierra Leone-born actor, musician, and cultural storyteller, and Sahr Ngaujah, the lead singer of Chop & Quench, who was nominated for a Tony and an Olivier Award for creating and originating the role of Kuti on Broadway. The powerful performance honored the spirit of one of Africa’s most influential artists and proved the perfect crescendo to a magical night.
But the night was hardly over, once the stage was cleared, the party took off, driven by the beat of Hang the DJ (aka Charlie Davis and Francis Garcia)– a long-time presence at the AMP Awards. Charlie is a Brooklyn-based musician and DJ who’s worked in the NYC music industry since ’06. He’s currently SVP, Sync Services & Partnerships at BMG. Francis is the CCO of Academy Fight Songs, a Brooklyn music house and recording studio partnered with Rough Trade Publishing to compose music for brands and content.
2026 AMP Awards Sponsors and Partners:
The AMP Awards would not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors and partners.
Platinum Sponsors: APM Music, Music Alternatives, Primary Wave Music and Reservoir.
Gold Sponsors: ABKCO, BMG X BMG Production Music, Bodega Sync, Concord Music Publishing, Empire, Extreme Music, Marmoset, Sound Goods, Soundstripe, Stephen Arnold Music and West One Music Group.
Supporting Sponsors: Clio Music, Concord Label Group, FGMK Insurance, Freedom Music Group, Grayson Music Group, MuM Original Music & Licensing, Perpetual Motion Music, Spirit Music Group, The Orchard, Third Side Music, Warner Chappell Music and Warner Music Group.
Production Partners: Charlie Cusumano, Groove Guild, Hang The DJ, Metatechnik and TiNY.
Beverage Partners: Godka, JuneShine + Flying Embers and Peroni Beer.
Media Partners: Little Black Book, Shoot, Shots, and The Howler.
Known as the ‘loudest show in the industry,' the Association of Music Producers is a not-for-profit organization representing the largest and most influential music production entities and creators in the United States. It sponsors the AMP Awards, the ad industry’s only juried, not-for-profit competition dedicated to the recognition of excellence in music and sound for advertising, branding, and media.
