Kushagra, Vengayo and Naalayak on Amazon Music’s Global 2026 Artists To Watch List
The Indian artists share space with rising acts like President, Destin Conrad, among 49 in total
(From left to right) Vengayo, Kushagra and Naalayak. Photo: Amazon Music, Yeashu Yuvraj (Naalayak)
Indian hitmakers like singer-songwriter Kushagra, genre-bending Tamil act Vengayo aka Issac Naveen and pop-rock artist Naalayak aka Sahil Samuel have been given the spotlight as emerging artists in the new year, on Amazon Music’s 2026 Artists to Watch campaign.
Featuring rising voices across genres and geographies, this year’s Artists to Watch will be featured on 28 playlists as part of the campaign. The streaming platform also aims to place artists for in-app and out-of-home marketing, and “bespoke content that brings fans closer to the stories behind the music.”
The campaign also commissioned Vengayo to record a reimagined version of his hit “Chikkama” for Amazon Music Originals, which can be streamed exclusively on the platform from 12 pm IST onwards. The Indian presence on yet another global platform marks the country’s expanding influence on global music, looking beyond already-popular desi music.
Kushagra has so far spent 2025 scaling the top of streaming charts with his affable tune “Finding Her” with artists Bharath and Saaheal, while also delivering songs like “Better With You,” “Last Love” and “Moon” from his project UR Debut. In addition to the hyper “Chikkama” being his breakout hit, Vengayo has earned the spotlight for his clutter-breaking visual aesthetic and choreography. Naalayak, for his part, released his latest album Marammat in November last year, tempering introspective pop on songs like “3am Thoughts” with soaring rock on “Gulfam.”
Other artists featured include Ejae (fresh from winning a Golden Globe for K-Pop Demon Hunters), Fcukers, President, Destin Conrad, Adam Klobi and more.
Amazon Music’s global head of music Paul Firth says in a statement, “Artists To Watch is one of the most meaningful initiatives we lead each year, because it’s about backing artists early, and championing them at this crucial stage in their career.” He adds, “For 2026, we’re spotlighting 49 exceptional emerging artists from around the world and supporting them where fans discover music—across our biggest playlists and through a new slate of Amazon Music Originals available exclusively on Amazon Music.”
To mark the launch, Amazon Music commissioned eight new Amazon Music Originals from Artists to Watch, recorded exclusively for the campaign. It includes JayDon covering R&B star Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” and other artists also new versions of hits, including Zach John King’s “As It Was,” Chloe Qisha’s “The Winner Takes It All,” Jamie MacDonald’s “Just The Two of Us,” and Bebo Dumont’s “Vamonos De Viaje.” In addition, Paris-born, U.K.-based pianist-producer Friqtao is contributing a new Amazon Music instrumental for the “Peaceful Meditation” soundtrack, all exclusively streaming on Amazon Music.
Amazon Music’s 2025 Artists to Watch included the likes of Addison Rae, Mk.gee, Sammy Virji, Gigi Perez, Cash Cobain and others. The years prior, the playlist and campaign were global as well as local to regions like the U.K., last featuring Tamil-origin Swiss artist Priya Ragu in 2022.
