Four fresh Finnish artists were chosen to Impala's yearly "100 Artists to Watch" list: Neea River, Emilia Sisco, Ánnámáret, and Grande Mahogany. Who are they, you're asking? Don't worry – scroll down just a bit and learn more about them!

Once again, Impala (European Independent Labels Association) published its anticipated 100 Artists to Watch list. The list was made for the fourth consecutive year in collaboration with YouTube and it features an impressive selection of independent labels and emerging talents from the European independent music sector. The list showcases artists from 30 countries, covering a wide range of genres from jazz to hip-hop, folk to electronic, and pop to punk.

From Finland, the list includes Neea River (Neea River), Emilia Sisco (Timmion Records), Ánnámáret (Uksi Productions Oy / Supersounds Music Oy) and Grande Mahogany (Laundry Music Company) – four names that should ring a bell to those following Music Finland's playlists.

The list has been curated by IMPALA members and their networks. IndieCo ry, the Finnish independent label association, has been involved in the creation of the list. IMPALA represents over 6,000 independent European record labels, and IndieCo ry is an IMPALA member organization.

Get to know the artists

Neea River

Gaining many new fans by taking part in this year's UMK run, Neea River has had a passion for an international music career since her teenage years. A breakthrough came unexpectedly when her Instagram singing videos caught the attention of U.S. producer who invited River to his studio. After spending time in Los Angeles, River moved back to Finland to pen hits for both local and international artists (such as this), solidifying her place in the music industry. Eventually, she shifted focus from writing for others to pursuing her own artistic path, launching a record label to release her solo songs, filled with euphoric dance-pop bliss and Y2K aesthetics. Neea River has released over a dozen independent singles during the past two years, among those the UMK smash "Nightmares", which has surpassed two million plays on Spotify already.

Emilia Sisco

Influenced by iconic artists from the 1970s, Emilia Sisco brings together classic soul and r'n'b traditions while incorporating her unique style and modern sensibilities. Based in Helsinki, and being a part of the world-renowned Timmion Records family, Sisco has steadily gained recognition as a notable voice in the contemporary soul scene. Emilia Sisco's vocal ability and skill in storytelling through her songs blend elements of soul, jazz, and blues into a distinctive sound. Her voice conveys deep emotion, reflecting the complexity of human experiences. Sisco has made an impression with her singles such as "Don't Believe You Like That," "Trouble" and "Your Girl", made in collaboration with the production house Cold Diamond & Mink. Emilia Sisco's latest, second, album Introducing Emilia Sisco (Timmion Records) was released in December 2024.

Grande Mahogany

Grande Mahogany is the alter ego of Finnish-Ghanaian guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and producer Jesse Essel, who was born and raised in Finland and migrated to Manchester , UK with his family, at the age of 11. In his music, Grande Mahogany breaks boundaries by conjuring a sound imbued with the pulsating vitality of funk, the gritty edge of alternative rock, and psychedelia. Grande Mahogany himself describes his music to be "a wah wah flurry, groovy with a soulful booty, funky swang with the rock thang, fuzz ’n’ rnb on top". His debut album, As Grande As (Laundry Music Company, 2024), garnered acclaim from music critics like Anthony Fantano – who called his music “super raw and fuzzy chop suey of ideas borrowed from Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone and Funkadelic” – to music platforms such as Colors and UK radio stations BBC 1 and 6. In 2025, Grande Mahogany signed a deal with the UK-based company Earth Agency. Read our spotlight interview with Grande Mahogany.

Ánnámáret

Ánnámáret (Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman), is a musician who belongs to the Arctic indigenous Sámi people. Ánnámáret's music blends electronics, traditional Finnish and Japanese instruments, and otherworldly singing, and it could equally well be categorized as folk, ambient, electronic, experimental, or at times even contemporary classical. Ánnámáret's musical upbringing took form by listening to Nordic folk music, especially the Karelian band Värttinä, as well as Sámi groups and artists such as Mari Boine, Wimme, Angelit and Ulla Pirttijärvi, Ánnámáret explains in Music Finland's spotlight article published in 2022. Ánnámáret's latest full-length record Bálvvosbáiki (Uksi Prductions Oy) was released in 2024.