POPLÄND Award goes to NIKRA, franz.K, and Jules Kalmbacher

The young alternative rock band NIKRA from Mannheim, the franz.K cultural center in Reutlingen, and renowned music producer Jules Kalmbacher were selected by a jury of experts as the first winners of the new POPLÄND Award Baden-Württemberg. The award ceremony, with prizes of €10,000 each, will take place on November 16, 2025, at the Alte Feuerwache in Mannheim.
State Secretary for the Arts Arne Braun said: "Now it's time to celebrate: With the POPLÄND Award, we are making the art form of pop music visible and audible in THE LÄND. Pop is an essential part of our diverse cultural landscape in Baden-Württemberg. The sounds and songs of musicians from Pop-LÄND resonate far beyond the state's borders. Dedicated event organizers curate sophisticated festivals, unique concert series, and innovative club programs, while also providing a stage for regional acts and up-and-coming talent. The POPLÄND Award is a sign of the power of creativity, innovation, and commitment. The 2025 award winners NIKRA, franz.K, and Jules Kalmbacher are the best proof of this."
The chair of the expert jury, Derek von Krogh, said: "All three award winners impressed the jury both artistically and in terms of content. I am delighted that this selection clearly reflects the social significance and quality of pop and youth culture in the state. Music with attitude, programs with a distinctive style, and artistic excellence impressed across the board. The jury did not take the decision lightly, as the standard among the nominees was consistently very high. Baden-Württemberg can be proud of its truly remarkable pop culture scene." Von Krogh is the artistic director and managing director of the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, keyboardist, and producer.

The 2025 award winners

NIKRA (Live Act category)
Nikra is a FLINTA* artist from Mannheim with queer punk energy and impressive stage presence. With a clear attitude and uncompromising sound, she and her band have made a name for themselves in a short time and are now on the verge of a major breakthrough. Since 2022, she has been continuously releasing her own songs and impressing listeners with lyrics that powerfully combine personal and social themes. Over the past two years, NIKRA has played around 80 club and festival shows, reached the final of the Udo Lindenberg Foundation's Panikpreis in 2024, and made an important national impact in 2025 with a guest appearance at the Southside Festival, as well as supporting Van Holzen and on the Heisskalt tour.

Kulturzentrum franz.K (category: live music venue)
Since 2008, the Kulturzentrum franz.K in Reutlingen has been connecting the metropolitan area of the central Neckar region with the rural area of the Swabian Alb. With around 300 events and festivals per year, including a total of around 120 concerts, international acts, German bands, and regional newcomers alike take to the stage. The program is curated and organized by a dedicated team with a keen sense for quality and discovery. During the summer months, the program is expanded to include various festivals with national appeal at the open-air venue “echaz.Hafen.” Through collaborations with various organizations and cultural institutions, franz.K is well-connected and deeply rooted in the region. With formats such as the intercultural open-air festival “inter:Komm!”, it also provides important impetus for diversity and cultural participation in Baden-Württemberg.

Jules Kalmbacher (Producing category)
Born in Odenwald, producer, songwriter, and film composer Jules Kalmbacher has worked with numerous artists such as Bausa, Jazeek, Sido, Mark Forster, Sarah Connor, Cro, and Udo Lindenberg. He has received multiple gold and platinum awards and has reached number one on the official German charts more than ten times. As a musical director, Jules Kalmbacher has worked on “Dein Song” (KIKA), ‘Hookline’ (ZDF Funk), and “One Night Song” (VOX), among others. Despite his success, Jules Kalmbacher has remained loyal to Baden-Württemberg: he lives in Heidelberg and, in 2020, founded the label Good Kid Records in Mannheim together with Moritz Schunk and Jens Schneider, with the affiliated music publishing company Good Kid Publishing in partnership with Universal Music and BMG. He describes his studio in Mannheim as the “heart” of Good Kid Music.

POPLÄND Award Baden-Württemberg
The POPLÄND Award Baden-Württemberg will henceforth be presented annually in three categories: “Live Act,” “Live Music Venue,” and “Producing.” It honors musicians, venues, and event concepts in pop culture that enrich the state's (pop) culture through their artistic innovation and curatorial commitment.
In addition to chairman Derek von Krogh, the independent jury for 2025 included: Ziggy Has Ardeur (musician and producer), Johanna Homburger (program director at Kulturladen Konstanz), Hannah Jaha (singer-songwriter and musician), Martin Labacher (creative director at Im Wizemann Stuttgart), Michael Mutschler (program director at Roxy Ulm), and Sonja Urmann (A&R associate at Concord Music GmbH).
The new state prize for pop culture is a result of the Pop Dialogue 2024 and was initiated in 2025 as part of the POPLÄND initiative of the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts. With the new state prize, the ministry is implementing one of the central recommendations for action from the Pop Dialogue: “Making pop culture visible.”

More information is available on the Ministry's website.