Stereo Groove from Mokokchung, Nagaland was crowned NE Star 2026 at the grand finale of Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s (TKM) NE Star 2026 Ultimate Music Talent Hunt held in Guwahati on September 27.
The finale brought together 16 finalists, with two participants from each of the eight Northeastern states, following more than 300 registrations and auditions across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Pateng Band from Meghalaya and Naad Band from Sikkim were declared the first and second runners-up, respectively. Pateng Band also won the Mogo category.
The Special Judges’ Choice Awards went to Samuel from Nagaland, Pallavi from Assam and Immanuel from Mizoram for their performances.
The finalists were judged by Subir Malik, founder member and keyboardist of Parikrama, and Kaushik Dutta, founder director of Music Connect. Celebrity singer Deeplina Deka also performed at the event.
Sachin Sharma, Vice President, East Region, Sales-Service-Used Car, TKM, said NE Star was conceived to provide talented young artists from the region a platform to showcase their passion and potential.
He said the event had brought together young talent from all eight Northeastern states and celebrated both musical excellence and the region’s cultural heritage.
The talent hunt was open to singers, musicians, bands, choirs and performers aged 18 to 35. TKM said the initiative reflects its efforts to support youth aspirations, local talent and cultural development across India.
