Spanish singer-songwriter Tania Pereira has won the 18th edition of the Premiu Camaretá al Meyor Cantar with her song Piquena, a composition rooted in folk music with contemporary influences. The award, organized by the Consejería de Cultura, Política Llingüística y Deporte (Department of Culture, Linguistic Policy, and Sport), was announced at the end of a gala held on Friday at the Teatro de la Laboral in Gijón/Xixón, where the four finalist projects performed their songs live before the jury deliberation.
Minister Vanessa Gutiérrez presented the award to Tania Pereira, who was joined by Ferla Megía, the winner of the previous edition. The prize includes €6,000, a trophy, the production of a music video, and the winner's incorporation into the Autores nel Camín circuit.
The gala, hosted by Esther Fonseca and Miguel Ánxel Montenegro, featured four different musical styles performed in Asturian. The competition began with Sólo, the artistic project of Alfredo González, performing Foles; followed by Marisa Valle Roso with La Carbonera, Tania Pereira with Piquena, and Ochobre with Escuela d’amor. After the finalists' performances, the jury selected Piquena as the best song of 2026. During the jury's deliberation, Ferla Megía performed his songs Miñances’23, Redobla, tiempu!, and Menealo. The gala concluded with a performance of the winning song by Tania Pereira.
The jury was chaired by José Antonio Garmón, the Director General of Innovation and Social Change, and included Pablo Alonso, Alicia Álvarez, Emma Posada, Andrea Joglar, and Xandru Fernández, professionals linked to music creation, performance, and promotion. Laura Marcos, a linguist from the Linguistic Planning Service, served as secretary. The gala was broadcast in full by TPA.
A prize to promote music in Asturian and Eonaviego
The Government of Asturias has been awarding the Premiu al Meyor Cantar since 2007 to recognize musical creation in Asturian and Eonaviego and to help new songs in these languages find an audience. The competition is open to any musical genre and values composition, performance, and linguistic correctness. Since 2020, the award has been named after Camaretá, in memory of the first musical and literary group of the Surdimientu, founded in San Martín del Rey Aurelio in 1975, which gave rise to musicians and writers associated with the Asturian cultural renewal, such as Nuberu, Nel Xiblata, Manuel Asur, and Xuan Marcos. Over its eighteen editions, the award has provided a diverse portrait of music created in Asturian and Eonaviego, featuring singer-songwriter songs, traditional music, rock, folk, and electronic proposals. Notable past winners include Rodrigo Cuevas, Anabel Santiago, Alfredo González, Algaire, Vero Rubio, La Bonturné, and Ferla Megía.
Tania Pereira: from southwestern Asturias to the British music scene
Originally from Xedré in Cangas del Narcea, Tania Pereira began her musical career collaborating with her father, fellow singer-songwriter Pedru Pereira, as a member of the traditional folk band Brandal. With this group, she participated in the Interceltic Festival of Lorient and received several nominations for awards in the Asturian music scene. Her solo career began after moving to London, where she lived for several years, and the city's music scene significantly influenced the sound of her debut album, Un sueño dentro de un sueño. This work earned her the AMAS award for best voice in 2020. In 2025, she released Rousa de Xericó, and throughout her career, she has collaborated with various artists and groups in the Asturian music scene, including Ferla Megía, De FEM, and Tigre y Diamante. Her music blends folk roots with influences from alternative rock, indie, and pop, a confluence of styles evident in Piquena, the winning song of the XVIII Premiu Camaretá al Meyor Cantar.
