MUZVAR Creator Oleksii Dontsov on the Transformation of Music Awards and the Show Business Industry
An interview with Oleksii Dontsov, creator of MUZVAR and the Muzvar Awards.
MUZVAR started as an Instagram page about Ukrainian music before growing into a full-fledged media outlet and music award show that continues to evolve during the war.
In an exclusive interview with DeTalks, one of the project's founders, Oleksii Dontsov, spoke about his path from a school newspaper to the Palace of Sports, the evolution of the Muzvar Awards, new award formats, and the challenges facing Ukraine's entertainment industry.
DeTalks is the official media partner covering Muzvar Awards 2026. Watch comments from event participants on the media's Telegram channel.
What Was Your First Step Into Media, Even Before MUZVAR?
“I could joke that the first media outlet I worked at was a school newspaper called “SOTOCHKA”, which we made using a photocopier. We wrote articles, typed them up in Word, printed them out, cut them up, glued them onto a big A2 sheet of paper, and then photocopied and sold them just to cover our costs. And we thought we were pretty impressive. I, of course, focused mostly on music and cultural events, since those interested me most.”
I properly entered media at 16, when I started working at a Donetsk radio station called YUMOR FM. It had a Russian franchise but broadcast in Ukrainian. I was a Ukrainian-language live host: we talked with listeners from across Donetsk Oblast, and artists and celebrities would come visit us too.
After that, I worked at the First Municipal Channel in Donetsk, where I hosted entertainment shows, including the talent show Chysto Khit.
After leaving Donetsk, I didn't work in media for a while. Then, when COVID started, I decided to make reviews from home and post them on YouTube. Later, I joined the Yednist resource, where I started making DORECHI NEWS.
“The episodes were pretty sharp and unconventional — artists recognized me at events and often took offense. There were even situations with very emotional reactions. But that period turned out to be an important stage that ultimately led me to creating MUZVAR.”
How Did MUZVAR Come About, and What Was the Idea Behind It?
“It was those sharp reviews that caught Yulian Novak's attention. It happened after I shared my thoughts on the Zolota Zhar-Ptytsia award, and Yulian was working at M1 at the time. We messaged each other and realized we needed to meet, since we shared similar views on certain things.
“During that meeting, we discussed our experience and decided to create something like a page. We settled on the idea right away: it had to be a project focused exclusively on Ukrainian-language content and music, without artists who sing in Russian. That became our signature, even before the full-scale invasion.”
“I was mostly the one driving the process — responsible for ideas, meaning, and opportunities — while Yulian was MUZVAR's brain. He's a walking encyclopedia, knows everything about everyone: who released what song and when. That's exactly why our partnership worked.”
“In 2021, we decided to move forward, because artists started noticing and supporting us. By then, I already had a lot of experience organizing events, and that's when, during the pandemic, the idea for our first award show came about. That's how our second brand, Muzvar Awards, was born.”
How Did the Muzvar Awards Evolve?
“The first award show wasn't a failure, but it had a lot of mishaps. That's because I took on far too many processes myself — I was both the organizer and the host at the same time.
Even so, top artists already came to that first show, because there were no concerts or events happening during the pandemic.
Probably because we weren't afraid to put ourselves out there, industry figures gave us their trust.
I'm very grateful for that — from Iryna Horova, who found the time to come, to the Papa Music team, since Wellboy was nominated. Tina Karol was performing at the Ukraina Palace at the time, and we even went to congratulate her on her win before the concert.”
“So the first award show had a certain naive charm — even the press wrote that it felt heartfelt, but looked a bit like a student event. But it was exactly that sincerity and 'imperfection' that ultimately worked in our favor, because it became clear: we weren't doing this for hype or money — the Ukrainian industry genuinely mattered to us.
In 2022, we were among the few media outlets that didn't change our stance — we kept working in Ukrainian and supporting Ukrainian content. Because of that, a new audience found us, and attention grew significantly. Holding an award show was impossible that year, so we organized charity concerts instead.
In 2023, we returned to the award show format — that one was at the Zhovtnevyi Palace. It was tough, but since no other award shows were happening at the time, we managed to bring together essentially all of show business. And we were already working toward a nationwide format.
The following year, we took another step forward — we held the show at the Ukraina Palace. It wasn't easy, but with support, we pulled it off. That's when we felt the shift from stability to recognition. Andrii Danylko's support, when he came out on stage, was an important moment that added even more weight to the show.”
“Then we realized the classic music award format doesn't work anymore, since artists don't show up just for statuettes — they have other priorities.
We started looking for a new format. In the end, we created an event made up of several parts: a separate TV taping of the award ceremony, a separate concert, and a separate show. For invited guests — from artists to media — we gave them what they wanted most: a chance to meet colleagues and unwind. Because nobody wants to sit in an audience listening to something that's really only needed for a digital format.
It was also important for us to blend the 'glamorous' side of things, so to speak, with the real one. So soldiers and civilians rested side by side, along with veterans and families of fallen Heroes, representatives of the creative industries, and children from liberated territories. And one more important detail — voting through the Diia app and 107 experts who chose the winners across 13 categories.
The award show will keep evolving, because we now understand how to make it not just an event, but a space for connection, interaction, and emotion. This is just my personal opinion, not the editorial team's — that classic music awards in Ukraine are outdated, and we need new formats and a new vision.”
As an Organizer, What Selection Criteria for Muzvar Awards Nominees and Winners Matter Most to You?
“Speaking generally, of course I and every member of the team have our own personal tastes — someone likes a certain artist, someone else likes a specific song. To avoid subjectivity, we always run a vote before choosing nominees. And every year we look for new mechanics to shape the shortlist of five as objectively as possible.
For example, this year we brought in ambassadors — major projects that proposed a fifth nominee. Those included festivals like Atlas, Faine Misto, B-MALL Fest, and Muzychna Platforma. They helped shape the 'Young Wave' categories — pop, rock, alternative, and estrada.
We also brought in other partners — MEGOGO, Suspilne, Music Box. They provided candidates in the categories where they have the most expertise. Music Box, for example, in the video creators category. This let us put together the clearest, most fair shortlist of five, one that essentially drew no complaints.
And here's an interesting point: usually any music award gets criticized — 'the wrong person won,' 'how is that even possible.' That happened with other awards, and with us in previous years too.
But this year, there was no criticism at all. And that's both a downside and an upside. The downside — no hype, no discussion. The upside — it means the choices really hit the mark.
107 experts is a large panel, and it lets us make the outcome as balanced as possible. So it was honestly a bit of a shock for me that, for the first time ever, there was no debate or backlash — simply because the people everyone recognizes as the best actually won.”
Where Do You See MUZVAR in Five Years?
“It's really hard to forecast anything over such a long period, since everything changes every year. I just described how MUZVAR and the Muzvar Awards have transformed over the years, so it's tough to make firm predictions.
But I can say for certain that we're now moving into a more structured, legally formalized space. MUZVAR has received official online media status, and the Muzvar Awards has become a nationwide award show. That means we're operating within a legal framework, but at the same time, we have to understand that media status comes with certain restrictions.
Of course, there will be scaling — we have a lot of ideas for making the project more substantial and successful. But we don't want to just chase the visuals — we're working on giving MUZVAR more depth while staying current and sharp. That's not an easy task.
We're also already moving toward strategic partnerships — including with FAUST PRODUCTION and the Novitnii Center for Creative Industries. This collaboration is meant to drive systemic change across the whole industry.
The first artist featured as part of this collaboration was Davyd Maskisa — a very talented musician currently undergoing rehabilitation after being wounded. We see huge potential for his growth, both in Ukraine and abroad.”
“There will be new artists and new ideas going forward, so we'll see how it all develops. But all of this is just speculation. The future of the industry and of MUZVAR is being shaped by titans at the front.”