IMPALA (Independent Music Companies Association) has named Swedish non-profit Popkollo the winner of its 2026 Changemaker Award, recognising the organisation’s work running music camps and creative activities for girls and trans youth.
Popkollo’s programmes are primarily aimed at 10- to 18-year-olds, with some activities also open to women and trans people over 18. The organisation uses a “Do It Together” (DIT) approach, inspired by DIY culture, to encourage collective creativity, shared learning, and wider participation in music. No previous experience is required to take part.
At the camps, participants learn instruments, form bands, write songs, attend workshops, and perform live. Popkollo also offers producer programmes, supervised rehearsals, and genre-specific camps covering jazz and punk, among others.
“We are very proud of our volunteers and our ‘Do It Together approach’,” said Matilda Köpcke, Operations Coordinator of Popkollo at the national level. “Popkollo is built on collective effort through local communities and everything we do comes from people working together on the ground. Our main focus is to create safe spaces where people can be creative and feel free to express themselves. This is a shared achievement, not something that belongs to any one person or part of the organisation does alone. We want music and artistic expression to be open to everyone, not just a small or privileged group.”
Award rationale
Eva Karman Reinhold, co-chair of IMPALA’s EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) taskforce and chair of SOM, Sweden, said: “For more than twenty years, Popkollo has tirelessly created opportunities for girls and trans youth in music, transforming music into collective power. Their producer education for adult women and trans people – ‘Who gets to be a producer?’ – opens doors, builds confidence and changes lives through music and community. Popkollo is definitely a Changemaker.”
Gee Davy, co-chair of IMPALA’s EDI taskforce and chief executive of AIM UK, added: “What stood out about Popkollo was that the project can work in lots of different places and for different communities, while still feeling very connected to the people taking part. They also understand that people experience barriers to music in different ways, and that’s reflected in how they run their activities.”
Nastasja Prévost, IMPALA EDI lead, said: “Popkollo is a great example of a grassroots, non-commercial initiative that has grown through local communities and people working together. Through the Changemaker Award we aim to bring more visibility not only to Popkollo, but also to the many inspiring projects featured on the IMPALA Changemaker page. This year’s nominees showed the wide range of work being done across Europe to make the sector more diverse and inclusive.”
About Popkollo
Founded in Hultsfred in 2003, Popkollo is a Swedish non-profit that runs music camps, workshops, and other creative activities. Most activities target young people aged 10 to 18, though some programmes are open to adults, including a network for adults in music production and audio engineering. Participants can learn instruments, start bands, write songs, produce music, and perform live, with no prior experience needed.
The organisation’s work is grounded in the DIT approach, with a strong focus on collaboration, local community work, and creating spaces where people feel comfortable expressing themselves creatively. Today, Popkollo brings together eight local non-profit associations across Sweden, with much of the work organised by volunteers through local planning groups and boards, supported by a national office in Stockholm.
Changemaker Award background
Launched in May 2022, the Changemaker Award runs yearly during European Diversity Month. Projects are nominated by IMPALA members, and the winner is selected by the association’s equity, diversity and inclusion taskforce. Since 2025, the recipient has received €1,000 from IMPALA to collaborate on shared messaging around values as an organisation with a cause. The award is part of IMPALA’s EU cultural network grant programme, which also included a revamp of the association’s awards. IMPALA will run dedicated social media campaigns highlighting key resources, best practices, and the role of Europe’s independent music sector in social transformation.
About IMPALA
Established in 2000, IMPALA represents over 6,000 independent music companies across Europe. Small, micro, and medium-sized businesses and self-releasing artists account for 99% of Europe’s music companies. IMPALA works to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change, and increase access to finance.
