The 2026 MIDI Innovation Awards
What are the midi innovation awards?
The MIDI Innovation Awards, established in 2021, celebrate groundbreaking advancements in MIDI technology.
Organized collaboratively by The MIDI Association, NAMM, and Music Hackspace, the awards highlight innovative products and projects that utilize MIDI 1.0 and 2.0 in novel ways, emphasizing MIDI’s role in fostering musical creativity.
The awards are open to individuals, artists, and companies working with MIDI to develop innovative products or interactive experiences. Categories include:
- Commercial Hardware Products
- Commercial Software Products
- Prototypes and Non-Commercial Hardware Products
- Prototypes and Non-Commercial Software Products
- Artistic/Visual Projects or Installations
- NEW: Best MIDI 2.0 product (across all categories)
Winners gain opportunities to present their innovations on a global stage, with prizes such as exhibition spaces at major events like the NAMM Show, and Music China. They also receive support from The MIDI Association for developing MIDI 2.0 prototypes.
The MIDI Innovation Awards are also proud to work with partners including Sound On Sound, the world’s leading music technology magazine, contributing prizes and press coverage for the competition.
Timeline
- March 31, 2026: Registrations opened
- September 1, 2026- Registrations closed
- September 8, 2026 Public Voting starts
- September 22, 2026- Public Voting closes
- Judges rank the finalists as First Place, Second Place and Third Place
- Winners revealed TBD
The 2026 MIDI Innovation Award Judges
Michele Darling
Assistant chair of the Electronic Production and Design Department at Berklee College of Music.
Toby Pitman
Toby Pitman is a London-based guitarist, producer and composer, and an expert in synthesis and sound design. He has worked with Paul McCartney, George Michael and Giles Martin, and has lectured for Apple on Logic Pro.
Moldover
Musician and instrument designer and is widely recognized as the godfather of controllerism.
Lucas Cantor Santiago
Lucas Cantor Santiago is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and author.
He finished Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony with Artificial Intelligence, the ‘completed’ symphony is regularly performed around the world.
Michael Strickland
Specialized Faculty in Music Technology at Florida State University and an active member of both the MIDI In Music Education and the Music Accessibility Standard Special Interest Groups of The MIDI Association.
The 2026 MIDI Innovation Award Finalists
2026 Commercial Hardware Products Finalists
Faderpunk
Faderpunk, the open source 16 channel MIDI and CV modulator that runs apps, becoming your studio centerpiece with sequencers, LFOs, and generators.
H12MIDI Pro
The H12MIDI Pro is a compact standalone MIDI brain with 6x USB host, 6x TRS MIDI I/O , advanced routing, filtering and mapping
ZONA
ZONA is a MIDI control pad with four-finger multitouch and pressure sensing. Each touch reports X, Y and Z, mapped to any DAW or hardware.
2026 Commercial Software Products Finalists
Anukari 3D Physics Synthesizer
What if you could build instruments out of simulated physical masses and springs in 3D space, connect them, manipulate them, and just… hear what happens?
MIDISketch
A piano roll built for expression, where the note itself bends. Sketch, record, or sing MIDI straight in, for any controller and DAW.
PolySWAM
PolySWAM is a complete virtual instrument that plays full polyphony on monophonic SWAM physical-modeling sound engines, via its own embedded, real-time intelligent MIDI voice-allocation core.
2026 Artistic Project or Installation Finalists
Bionic and the Wires
Bionic and the Wires transforms plant and fungal bio‑signals into MIDI‑driven music and art, using bionic arms to reveal nature’s hidden intelligence.
EM-OMEGA
A handheld sensing sphere turning touch, rotation and movement into MIDI and OSC: an installation where dancers’ bodies generate the music instead of following it.
RotorHead
ROTORHEAD is a unique DIY synthesizer with six vibrating motors, creating warm organ-like 80s sounds — polyphonic, MIDI-controlled, portable, and crafted entirely from recycled parts.
2026 Hardware NonCommercial and Prototype Finalists
Dog Paw
Dog Paw combines powerful software capabilities with traditional instruments’ feel and expression.
The Jambourine
World’s first real-time, gesture-to-MIDI beat clock tempo controller that plays like a tambourine, opening the complete world of midi to the wave of a hand.
2026 Non Commerical and Prototypes Software Finalists
MidiStickers Pro
MidiStickers simplifies learning classical and jazz theory through real-time interactive exercises and modular widget-based MIDI visualization and analysis tools designed for music educators and students.
REFLECT
REFLECT is an evidence-based serious game that transforms arm and hand movements into accessible music creation and engaging physical rehabilitation in virtual reality.
Sleight
Sleight turns MIDI 1.0 keyboard into a per-note MIDI 2.0 expressive controller using a webcam, bend, vibrato and timbre on individual notes, no new hardware.
2026 MIDI 2.0 Finalists
MIDI2USB Converter
Get started with MIDI 2.0. This open-source converter transforms existing MIDI devices, allowing developers to easily analyze UMP messages, test apps, and build the future.
OHLA – “Opto-Haptic Linear Attenuator”
OHLA gives control surfaces the ability to communicate. Light and touch at your fingertips, in real time, so you never look away from your hands.
Opti Deko
Upgrade any MIDI keyboard with Opti Deko. Its high-precision optical sensors capture subtle finger movements, instantly unlocking smooth expression and organic microtonal control.
MIDI2 Monitor MK2
MIDI2 Monitor MK2 decodes MIDI 1.0/2.0 traffic into plain English in real time, with spoken narration for hands-free monitoring.
Faderpunk
Faderpunk, the open source 16 channel MIDI and CV modulator that runs apps, becoming your studio centerpiece with sequencers, LFOs, and generators.
Scale Navigator Dashboard
A new interface for harmony. Explore a network of connected scales and chords, capture what you find, and everything follows: plugins, instruments, performers.
Future Impact Bass Guitar Synthesizer
A comprehensive 4-oscillator monosynth and effects pedal, triggered by audio (with ultra-low latency) or MIDI, which can also drive external synths.
MusicNote Haven MIDI Manager
MusicNote Haven MIDI Manager helps keyboard players and MIDI collectors index, search, listen to, organize and preserve large MIDI/KAR archives safely.
XPI – Gamepad MIDI Input
Transform standard game controllers into expressive, low-latency polyphonic MPE instruments and intelligent harmony workstations for macOS.
Sleight
Sleight turns MIDI 1.0 keyboard into a per-note MIDI 2.0 expressive controller using a webcam, bend, vibrato and timbre on individual notes, no new hardware.
KNUCON
Brass-knuckle-shaped wearable MIDI controller blending gesture control, pressure sensing, and mic tracking to expand live performance dimensions through multi-channel expressive data.
FretMorpher
A virtual Fretboard with moveable frets and tuneable strings that combines the MIDI and Analog streams of a MIDI string instrument for Realtime exploration.
IMI PlayAlong — Adaptive Musical Interface
A smartphone app and touch-sensitive MIDI controller that lets anyone play real music expressively from the very first note — and progress to concert-level performance.
Traktorino
An open-source DIY MIDI controller kit for DJs, offering expandable hardware, customizable firmware, LED feedback, and seamless integration with Traktor and any MIDI-compatible software.
MIDISplitter 1.5
MIDISplitter 1.5 helps musicians safely open, audition, split, merge, and export MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0 files with transparent compatibility reporting and proof inside macOS.
Opti Deko
Upgrade any MIDI keyboard with Opti Deko. Its high-precision optical sensors capture subtle finger movements, instantly unlocking smooth expression and organic microtonal control.
Synchrony Performance Encoder
Synchrony brings the power of MIDI alignment to your DAW for the first time, accelerating tempo mapping and enabling performance-to-performance encoding of dynamics and CCs.
Phylo
A “concept DAW” for the creation of music as code for the web, with generative features and MIDI2.0.
The Jambourine
World’s first real-time, gesture-to-MIDI beat clock tempo controller that plays like a tambourine, opening the complete world of midi to the wave of a hand.
Dog Paw
Dog Paw combines powerful software capabilities with traditional instruments’ feel and expression.
Connect Through MIDI M4L Version
With ConnectThroughMIDI, anyone can make music together. Every note stays in key on any MIDI controller — ideal for classrooms, therapy and community music.
MIDIWeb
MIDIWeb enables browser based music making via WebMIDI on iOS, visionOS and macOS. A music-focused browser for hardware synths, controllers, utilities and education.
Bastion Citoyen — Kukulkan Warrior
Bastion Citoyen turns MIDI 2.0 controllers into a civic operating surface connecting people, lighting, sound, maps, identity, and regenerative action through Kukulkan Warrior in real-time.
Automatar: Intelligent AI Bass Guitar
The Automatar is an intelligent AI-powered bass guitar born to challenge the ideology of automation through artificial intelligence.
TONAVA
TONAVA unites harmonic visualization, microtonal performance, synthesis, sampling, and global tuning in one integrated educational and creative MIDI software workstation for music creators and educators.
midiBeam V2 Wireless MIDI Interface
MIDI connection wirelessly: TX02 transmitter with DIN MIDI input (powered by 2 AAA batteries) and RX02 USB receiver. MIDI output over DIN and USB.
Midi Command Studio
MIDI Command Studio transforms MIDI controllers into powerful Windows control surfaces, controlling applications, shortcuts, macros and audio while supporting hardware feedback on compatible devices.
seqMPEror 2
seqMPEror 2 turns MPE gestures into a playable instrument — sequencing, routing and mapping expression across any synth, controller or Push, standalone or inside Live.
midi2.diy: A Portable MIDI 2.0 Stack for Embedded Systems
A portable MIDI 2.0 stack for embedded systems: zero-allocation C99 core, C++17 wrapper, 29 recipes. From DIY to professional, build your own instruments. midi2.diy
DiGitarre
DiGitarre is an accessible digital guitar co-designed with disabled children and teachers, enabling intuitive shared classroom music-making through standalone play, colour notation, and adaptable chords.
vguitar 2.9
Virtual Guitar – Play guitar in any linux terminal.
Human friendly, input, and readable. Distributed via GNU copyleft license.
Musirion
Musirion uses in-house AI to turn solo-piano audio and video into editable sheet music, MIDI, and MusicXML for musicians, teachers, arrangers, producers, and creators worldwide.
MIDI Piano & Guitar Chords
Free, open-source music theory suite. Connect any MIDI keyboard to detect chords, visualize intervals, and explore the circle of fifths.
slim208
slim208 is a compact 208-channel BLE MIDI controller measuring 255.6 × 157.2 mm with 64 potentiometers and 144 tactile switches for wireless modular synth control.
Transkr V4
Transkr V4 turns guitar, bass, voice and other instruments into MIDI and notation through polyphonic transcription, melody extraction, chord recognition and meter analysis.
TITAN Q4
TITAN Q4 is an 8-in/8-out audio interface with 32-bit/192kHz support, built-in Bluetooth aptX-HD, a firmware virtual channel matrix that enables offline signal routing.
Vibe Together
Vibe Together turns MIDI into a multiplayer 3D sandbox: build songs you can see, share what you made, and collaborate in real time with friends.
Fingersonic Keys
Fingersonic Keys is a pocket-sized smart MIDI keyboard that lets anyone play, learn, sample sounds, and create music anywhere with built-in speaker and app support.
MIDI Xplorer
MIDI Xplorer helps musicians discover, preview, analyze, transform, and perform MIDI ideas instantly, turning existing MIDI libraries into playable, scale-aware creative instruments.
MidiStickers Pro
MidiStickers simplifies learning classical and jazz theory through real-time interactive exercises and modular widget-based MIDI visualization and analysis tools designed for music educators and students.
AptiPlay 8P
AptiPlay transforms simple switches and adaptive controls into a powerful musical instrument, giving people with mobility challenges a new way to create and perform music.
Coloratura
Coloratura is a musical interface that uses electrically wired paintbrushes to create physical art and electronic music at the same time
SampleConductor
SampleConductor is a generative sampling instrument that transforms any sample into inspiring chopped progressions, helping producers find ideas fast and turn creative blocks into momentum.
Masterpiece generator
Masterpiece Generator creates editable electronic grooves from deterministic seeds and drives instruments through MIDI notes, clock, probabilistic triggers, expressive CC automation on every step.
Vibe
An AI MIDI mapping assistant that lets musicians configure SHIK controllers in plain English, generating complete presets without manuals, CC tables, or guesswork.
ESP-NOW MIDI & enomik (ESP-NOW MIDI Kit)
Wireless MIDI without Bluetooth pain. Build your own MIDI device with our zero-programming editor, fully SysEx-configurable, with library and optional dev boards.
Musicalysis
Musicalysis transforms MIDI performance into real-time music theory, remote collaborative playing, music notation, and visual analysis, helping musicians understand, learn, compose, and analyze music together.
Drumcheck
Impossible drums? DRUMCHECK analyzes a MIDI drum part and shows what a drummer can’t play.
LiteWebSynth
LiteWebSynth is a WordPress GM/GS/XG synthesizer featuring a Timbre Editor (GM mode), SoundFonts Editor (GS/XG mode), and a built-in sequencer.
GrooveConductor
GrooveConductor is a gesture-driven generative MIDI instrument that lets you shape drums and bass from one expressive surface in real time.
Bluetooth MIDI Morin Khuur Bow
A wireless MIDI bow with a flexible finger-control system, letting string players perform live digital counterpoint melodies while triggering and controlling effects.
Eldoraudio Piano Audio to MIDI Converter
Piano audio to MIDI conversion done right. Upload an audio file, and we’ll transcribe the piano part into accurate, editable MIDI.
Tritonet
Tritonet turns harmony into an automatable layer, freeing MIDI from fixed pitch — play, remap, and stretch chords, scales, and voice-leading elastically in real time.
H12MIDI Pro
The H12MIDI Pro is a compact standalone MIDI brain with 6x USB host, 6x TRS MIDI I/O , advanced routing, filtering and mapping
MIDI2USB Converter
Get started with MIDI 2.0. This open-source converter transforms existing MIDI devices, allowing developers to easily analyze UMP messages, test apps, and build the future.
S32
A standalone MIDI processor and macro controller with 32 high-resolution knobs, stackable MIDI effects, flexible routing, and built-in LFO modulation.
MNS Music Engine
MNS Music Engine transforms adaptive behaviour into original, generative music in real time, making sophisticated music creation and interaction accessible through MIDI.
Milli Vocal Trainer
Milli Vocal Trainer provides real-time ‘natural voice’ accurate pitch-corrected harmony vocals inside PG Music Band-In-A-Box
Midulate Mini
Midulate Mini fits discretely on a pedalboard generating continuous streams of tempo-synced MIDI CC messages that turn static effects into dynamic ever-changing modulations.
LA Laptop Orchestra
A public music ritual where complete strangers become an orchestra, sharing one evolving harmony without rehearsal or musical training.
Ensemble Jammer
Anyone can improvise together in under a minute. A suite of touch instruments shares one evolving harmony, so no note can ever be wrong.
PolySWAM
PolySWAM is a complete virtual instrument that plays full polyphony on monophonic SWAM physical-modeling sound engines, via its own embedded, real-time intelligent MIDI voice-allocation core.
Conductor
Conductor is a MIDI 2.0 plug-in host built on our patented divisi process. Play and mix an entire virtual orchestra at once, in real time.
MIDI Breath Controller MBC-10
The MBC-10 can convert breath, bite, and posture (up, down, left, right) into MIDI
MIDI Pro 3
The world’s most expressive MIDI guitar, combining ultra-fast tracking, MPE expression, touch controls, programmable finger pads, MIDI Arm technology, and premium craftsmanship.
MIDI Agent
MIDI Agent brings AI models into DAWs to generate and transform MIDI melodies, chords, basslines, drums, and arrangements through natural-language collaboration workflows for music production.
LumaDeck Web
LumaDeck Web turns a supported browser into a live visual instrument controlled by MIDI, separating performer controls from clean audience output without installing an application.
MIDISketch
A piano roll built for expression, where the note itself bends. Sketch, record, or sing MIDI straight in, for any controller and DAW.
Mystrix 2 Smart Controller
Mystrix is an expressive, hackable, portable smart MIDI controller combining MPE, touch, motion, sequencing, and community customizable software into one flexible creative platform
DG-Nova
Play guitar in a new and easy way. Learning in 3 minutes, No Finger Pain, Professional Guitar Emulation.
REFLECT
REFLECT is an evidence-based serious game that transforms arm and hand movements into accessible music creation and engaging physical rehabilitation in virtual reality.
Tonalign
You’re only ever a half step from the right note. Tonalign makes that correction for live MIDI, following harmony wherever it moves in real time.
Anukari 3D Physics Synthesizer
What if you could build instruments out of simulated physical masses and springs in 3D space, connect them, manipulate them, and just… hear what happens?
Bionic and the Wires
Bionic and the Wires transforms plant and fungal bio‑signals into MIDI‑driven music and art, using bionic arms to reveal nature’s hidden intelligence.
Anything Piano
Anything Piano is the next generation of piano learning, empowering you to learn any song on piano
Gimbal
Gimbal turns MIDI 2.0’s billions of steps into a drawable surface: sketch pitch, volume and modulation paths as pure math, no instrumental technique required
EM-OMEGA
A handheld sensing sphere turning touch, rotation and movement into MIDI and OSC: an installation where dancers’ bodies generate the music instead of following it.
X8H MAX
The X8H MAX features intelligent scale modes and high-quality multi-style tones including traditional folk timbres, suitable for diverse creation and performance scenarios.
RotorHead
ROTORHEAD is a unique DIY synthesizer with six vibrating motors, creating warm organ-like 80s sounds — polyphonic, MIDI-controlled, portable, and crafted entirely from recycled parts.
Alien Instruments Studio
Alien Instruments Studio makes music creation accessible, combining adaptable sequencing, intelligent composition tools, keyboard navigation, screen-reader support, customisable interface, clear feedback that empowers creative workflows.
Trencadís App
Trencadis is an app that turns the camera feed into music by picking up the colors of the image and translating them into musical notes.
ZONA
ZONA is a MIDI control pad with four-finger multitouch and pressure sensing. Each touch reports X, Y and Z, mapped to any DAW or hardware.
Modulix
Modulix is a live Audio Unit host for Mac, blending the immediate workflow of a stage keyboard with the deep MIDI routing of a workstation.
DrumBot AI
DrumBot AI turns prompts, reference tracks, or vocal rhythms into editable MIDI drum parts, helping musicians create customizable grooves faster while preserving human creative flow.
Quill
Quill is an eyedropper for sound: capture an instrument’s tone and playing style in seconds, then play it on your MIDI keyboard, slides and all.
Midilo – Flow-based, MIDI-first looping
Midilo is the world’s first looper with MPE support: capture expressive performances, transform them into new loops in real time, and perform evolving arrangements live.
Eldoraudio Guitar Audio to MIDI Converter
Guitar audio to MIDI conversion done right. Upload an audio file, and we’ll transcribe the guitar part into accurate, editable MIDI.
ACE Studio 2
AI music studio includes expressive, human-like singing voices from MIDI and lyrics, AI instruments generate realistic singing vocals/instruments from MIDI, lyrics, word descriptions.
MidiCard Plus V2
The MidiCard Plus V2 is a tiny credit-card sized class-compliant USB C piano keyboard housed on a small purple PCB.
OHLA – “Opto-Haptic Linear Attenuator”
OHLA gives control surfaces the ability to communicate. Light and touch at your fingertips, in real time, so you never look away from your hands.
midiBeam 4Control USB Interface & MIDI Expression/Footswitch Controller
The 4Control has two stereo jack socket inputs for expression pedals and/or footswitches. Data from these can be merged into the MIDI stream.
SPI-1 : The pocket generative music workstation
SPI-1, the pocket generative music workstation, features modular design, gamified creation workflow & zoned touch input for offline AI music production.
Loom – Multidimensional MPE MIDI Controller
A multidimensional MPE controller from Aodyo Instruments: one multitouch surface plays as keyboard, ribbon, strum, pads or faders, with every finger independently expressive.
The 2025 MIDI Innovation Award Winners
