The 14th edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival, set for February 14–15, 2026, at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios, continues to spotlight emerging blues talent through its annual Big Band Hunt. This year, Bengaluru-based jazz and R&B collective Grace n’ the Cliches won the coveted competition, reinforcing the festival’s nine-year legacy of nurturing young musicians.
After a rigorous selection process that narrowed hundreds of participants to three finalists, the final showdown took place at antiSOCIAL, Lower Parel, with judges Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, and Zubin Balaporia. Grace n’ the Cliches triumphed over Mojo Tribe and Ahmedabad’s One Nation, earning the chance to perform on the festival’s Garden Stage, alongside blues luminaries like Matt Schofield, Blackstratblues, and Shemekia Copeland.
Judges emphasized the importance of platforms like the Big Band Hunt in nurturing talent from small towns and sustaining the blues’ emotional depth. Zubin Balaporia highlighted that the initiative provides young artists freedom to experiment, while Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa underscored the festival’s role in promoting local talent and keeping the genre alive.
Grace n’ the Cliches expressed excitement, calling the win a transformative opportunity to contribute to India’s blues scene and bring a progressive element to the genre.
For nine years, the Big Blues Band Hunt has been central to Mahindra Group’s efforts to empower youth through artistic expression, creating a democratic stage for India’s emerging blues talent while preserving the genre’s cultural essence.
