TERAT also won the Best Guitarist award, while Steel Falcon received the Best Vocalist award and Nchanter was named Best Bassist
KRC TIMES National Bureau
NEW DELHI: Mizoram-based band TERAT emerged as the winner of Ticket to Hornbill 2026, the nationwide band competition held at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on November 6. Bengaluru’s Steel Falcon finished as the first runner-up, while Uttarakhand’s Nchanter secured the second runner-up position.
The winning band, along with the two runners-up, will perform at the Hornbill Music Festival in Nagaland this December, sharing the stage with 45 other bands from across the world.
Organised by the Government of Nagaland through Tourism Nagaland and the Task Force for Music & Arts (TaFMA), the event witnessed a large turnout and brought together music, dance and fashion to showcase Nagaland’s rich cultural heritage.
The evening began with musical performances by Azi Rudy, Sentien Kichu and Vetho Rhakho. The Nagaland Designers’ Association presented an ethnic fusion fashion show, followed by a folk fusion dance performance by The Ao Naga Fusion and a folk fusion song by Densu.
Speaking on the importance of music in Naga society, Nchumbemo Lotha, Tourism Secretary, Government of Nagaland, said music was much more than entertainment for the Naga people. He described it as a means of storytelling, preserving history, expressing identity and keeping community traditions alive across generations.
The grand finale of the band competition was presented in association with Casio India. Billed as “India’s Biggest Band Battle”, the competition offered a total cash prize pool of ₹20 lakh, individual instrument prizes worth ₹5 lakh and an opportunity to perform at the Hornbill Music Festival.
TERAT also won the Best Guitarist award, while Steel Falcon received the Best Vocalist award and Nchanter was named Best Bassist. New Delhi-based Neko Parade won Best Keyboardist, Nagaland’s Stereo Groove received the Best Drummer award and Punjab’s Anarchy bagged the Sennheiser Choice Award.
TaFMA Chairman Theja Meru said the response from Delhi audiences was encouraging. He expressed happiness over the large turnout and the enthusiastic support extended to participating bands throughout the competition.
The Hornbill Festival, one of Nagaland’s major annual cultural events, will be held from December 1 to 10 at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. The festival brings together the state’s different tribes and offers visitors an opportunity to experience their traditional music, dance, handicrafts, food and cultural heritage.
