Roxy Dekker wins Pop Prize 2024 at the Noorderslag festival

Amsterdam singer Roxy Dekker (20) is the winner of the 2024 Pop Prize, it was announced on Saturday evening at the Noorderslag pop festival in Groningen. According to the jury, Roxy Dekker is “a phenomenon that the jury could not ignore.” Dekker left her mark on the pop year 2024 with hits. Her song ‘Sugardaddy’ was the most listened to song on Spotify (over 66 million streams).

Last year, rapper Joost Klein won the Pop Prize, which is organized by Buma Cultuur, ESNS and Kunstenbond. The prize consists of a cash prize of 10,000 euros and a statue of Theo Mackaay. Since 1986, the Pop Prize has gone to the person or artist who has made the most important contribution to Dutch pop music in the past year.

Dekker knows how to capture the spirit of the times like no other, the jury believes. “Pop music is rooted in youth and youth culture. Even in turbulent times, people are young. Like no other, she managed to capture the spirit of the times in sharp, humorous lyrics full of self-mockery about her own generation, in self-written songs (with special mention to songwriter Renske te Buck). The music is cheerful and light-hearted, but also contains a feminist message. Roxy Dekker speaks the language of youth, the cradle of pop music.”

How fast the music world is moving in 2025 can clearly be seen from Roxy Dekker’s just-started career, according to the jury. “Her oeuvre only consists of 8 songs and she doesn’t have much more than a handful of performances to her name.”

Roxy Dekker has been active as a solo artist since 2021. Through natural blog videos about her – quite privileged – life on TikTok, Dekker quickly became an online hit sensation. After her musical breakthrough with ‘Anne-Fleur Vakantie’ and ‘Satisfyer’ in 2023, the singer scored no fewer than four number 1 hits in 2024: ‘Sugardaddy’, ‘Huisfeestje’ (with the Bankzitters), the light-hearted summer track ‘Gaan We’re gone?’ (with rapper Ronnie Flex) and ‘Industry Plant’.

In the latter she took the criticism to task – an ‘industry plant’ is an artist who has become successful out of nowhere thanks to handy connections. Her new single ‘Ga Dan!’ has just been released, a song about a break-up.

For her cleverly crafted, unpretentious songs, party pop full of Gen Z fun and worries, she received an Edison for Best Newcomer in 2024 as well as the prize for 3FM talent and Best Dutch Act at the MTV EMA.

The Pop Prize is the most important prize for pop music in the Netherlands. The award ceremony is a permanent part of Noorderslag, the benchmark for Dutch music during the Groningen showcase festival ESNS.

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