Singer Akmal (Akmal Khojaniyazov), who was born in the city of Bayramaly in Turkmenistan’s Mary Region, has joined the list of winners of Russia’s prestigious «Golden Gramophone» music award. He has received the honour for the first time.

Akmal won the award for the song «Shutka», which he performed together with Russian singer Grigory Leps. The winners of the 31st award ceremony were announced on the air of «Russkoye Radio».

This year, the award was presented to the composers and performers of a total of 34 songs. The selection of winners took into account the results of the radio hit chart, performance figures on digital platforms, opinions from music industry professionals and fan communities, as well as votes cast by audience members who had purchased tickets for the upcoming ceremony.

Other award recipients include renowned performers such as Philipp Kirkorov, Valeriya, Larisa Dolina, Ani Lorak, Sergey Lazarev, Yuri Antonov, ANNA ASTI and Dima Bilan. Philipp Kirkorov received awards for two songs — «Dav­no vsyo khorosho» and «Luiza».

The «Golden Gramophone» award ceremony will take place on December 5, 2026, at the «VTB Arena» sports complex in Moscow. The event is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Akmal Khojaniyazov was born on November 23, 2003, in the city of Bayramaly, Mary Region, Turkmenistan. He rose to prominence after taking part in the television project «The Voice Kids». Since 2020, the singer has pursued an independent music career.