Toyota Kirloskar Motor Crowns Nagaland’s Stereo Groove as NE Star 2026 Winner
Guwahati, Sept 29 (TNT): Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has crowned Stereo Groove from Nagaland as the winner of NE Star 2026, its music talent hunt aimed at promoting emerging musical talent across the eight northeastern states.
Pateng Band from Meghalaya and Naad Band from Sikkim secured the first and second runner-up positions, respectively, at the grand finale held in Guwahati, the company said in a release on Tuesday.
Pateng Band also won the Mogo category, while the Special Judges’ Choice Awards were presented to Samuel from Nagaland, Pallavi from Assam and Immanuel from Mizoram for their performances.
The grand finale featured 16 finalists, with two participants from each northeastern state advancing to the final round following more than 300 registrations and auditions conducted across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The contestants were evaluated by a panel comprising Subir Malik, founder member and keyboardist of Parikrama, and Kaushik Dutta, founder director of Music Connect. The judging criteria included musical talent, stage presence and overall performance.
The event also featured a performance by singer Deeplina Deka.
Sachin Sharma, Vice-President, East Region, Sales, Service and Used Car, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said the initiative was designed to provide young artists with a platform to showcase their talent and potential. He said the competition celebrated both musical excellence and the cultural heritage of the Northeast.
The talent hunt was open to singers, musicians, bands, choirs and other performers aged between 18 and 35 years.
Through initiatives such as NE Star, TKM aims to support young talent, encourage youth aspirations and contribute to the cultural development of communities across India.
TNT KS
