Brazilian Music Awards

The Brazilian Music Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: Prêmio da Música Brasileira) (PMB) or BTG Pactual Brazilian Music Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: BTG Pactual Prêmio da Música Brasileira) is a Brazilian music award created in 1987 by Zé Maurício Machline. It is considered the biggest and most important music award in Brazil. Its goal is to value the diversity and richness of Brazilian music, recognizing artists of different genres and styles. The award seeks to highlight the contribution of musicians and composers to Brazilian culture, promoting the appreciation and recognition of talents throughout the country.
Since 1993, with the exception of 2002 and 2009, it has been held at the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, one of the most important and traditional cultural venues in Brazil. Throughout its history, the PBM has paid tribute to great names in Brazilian music and has established itself as a prestigious event in the Brazilian cultural scene. At each edition, artists are awarded in various categories, reflecting the wide range of musical expressions present in the country.
The award was initially known by the names of its sponsors, being called Sharp Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: Prêmio Sharp), Caras Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: Prêmio Caras) and TIM Music Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: Prêmio TIM de Música). In February 2025, in the 32nd edition, the award became known as BTG Pactual Brazilian Music Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: BTG Pactual Prêmio da Música Brasileira).
The Brazilian Music Awards was conceived by José Maurício Machline, also known as Zé Maurício, in 1987. Machline, a passionate lover of music, television, theater and literature, created the award to value the diversity and richness of Brazilian music. He sought to encourage the discovery of new talent and promote productive encounters between the various trends in contemporary Brazilian music, seeking the highest quality in all musical genres.
Initially sponsored by Sharp Corporation, it was known as the Sharp Brazilian Music Awards from its first edition in 1988 (referring to the previous year, 1987) until 1998. In 1995, Sharp also created an award for excellence in Brazilian theater. However, in 1999, when the Sharp Music Awards was to be held for its 12th edition and the Sharp Theatre Awards for its 5th edition, the global economic crisis prevented the ceremony from taking place. The list of winners was released, but the winners received only a symbolic prize, without the traditional award ceremony. The award ceremony was not held in 2000 and 2001.
In 2002, the award was transformed into the Caras Awards, sponsored by Caras magazine. The following year, it became the TIM Music Awards, sponsored by the telephone operator TIM, which lasted until 2008. In 2009, the award was independently produced and had the support of the Brazilian artistic class. From that edition onwards, the award adopted the definitive name of Brazilian Music Awards. In 2010, it kept the same name, sponsored by the company Vale.
According to the council's definition, works composed, produced or performed solely by AI, in addition to those that use vocals from dead artists created by technology, will not be able to compete for the award.
The Director Council of the Brazilian Music Awards (Brazilian Portuguese: Conselho Diretor do Prêmio da Música Brasileira) is responsible for establishing the fundamental guidelines of the Award, resolving doubts and omissions, selecting the jurors, and casting the deciding vote to break ties. The Board is also responsible for nominating the honoree of the year.
It is currently composed of: Antônio Carlos Miguel; Arnaldo Antunes; Djavan; Emicida; Gilberto Gil; Heloísa Guarita; João Bosco; Karol Conká; Ney Matogrosso; Wanderléa; Yamandu Costa and Zé Maurício Machline.