The first Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu was held in 2012. Over the years, UMK's production team has included some of the best professionals in the industry, who are now honored with the newly established Hall of Fame.
The first six honorees into the UMK Hall of Fame have played a significant role in shaping UMK into what it is today.
The main basis for being recognized in the Hall of Fame is their contribution to the development and evolution of UMK from its early days to the present.
Krista Siegfrids – singer, songwriter
Krista Siegfrids has competed in UMK and represented Finland at Eurovision. Seamlessly adapting to different roles, she has been involved in both Eurovision and UMK as a performer, host, commentator and reporter. She has also presented Finland’s jury points at Eurovision, hosted numerous Eurovision fan events across Europe and served as a commentator for Dutch channel OutTV’s UMK broadcasts – including this year.
Pia Ljungman – event producer, designer
Pia Ljungman has been involved in building UMK from the very beginning and continues to play a major and vital role, particularly in event production. She has always seen and understood the bigger picture of UMK, believed in its growth, and is truly passionate about her work. Pia brings a great attitude and energy to the entire team. Her approach to production has been shaped by a ‘bar is high’ mindset, with a strong focus on marketing and content planning, collaboration with stakeholders, and, most importantly, overseeing the bigger picture.
Fried Music
Each year, dozens of music and event industry companies contribute to UMK’s production. Fried Music has been involved from the very beginning, playing a key role in music production and consulting on music publishing. The company has also been an essential part of developing the broadcast audio for UMK’s live TV show. In particular, Fried Music’s mixing engineer, Arttu Peljo, has played a significant role in elevating UMK’s sound to an international level.
Elina Lario – costume designer
In the early stages of UMK, skilled costume designers were essential, and Elina Lario was fully committed from the start alongside her team. Over the years, the standards have continuously risen, bringing in some of Finland’s top talents to meet international-level expectations. Elina herself has played a key role in designing outfits for performers – one of the most notable examples being the design of Käärijä’s bolero.
Harri Nyman – production manager
The stage design department has played a major role in making UMK performances memorable as part of unique, cohesive productions. Despite tight schedules, even the most complex set pieces and large-scale constructions have always been completed on time. Behind it all is a dedicated and efficient team, led by Harri Nyman, who has successfully brought even the most ambitious designs to life – always ensuring safety and maintaining a calm approach.
Aija Puurtinen – vocal coach
Singing, vocal performance, technique, and the right mindset are fundamental in a competition like UMK. Aija Puurtinen has taken on multiple roles within UMK over the years. In the early stages, she served as a judge before becoming part of the professional jury selecting the competing songs. She has coached UMK contestants in vocal performance, led the backing vocal team, and overseen Finland’s vocal arrangements at Eurovision. Additionally, she has collaborated with several other countries’ national selections in various capacities. Aija is undoubtedly one of the top professionals in her field worldwide.