THE SINA KHANI AWARD 2025 GOES TO HARRY MERRY!
Selection Criteria:
"Rotterdam legend HARRY MERRY, born Harry den Hartog, has been cranking out eccentric art pop and experimental tunes since his first performance in 1996, after spending over five years holed up in his attic experimenting like a mad scientist on his keyboard. He is a true cult hero, a multi-instrumentalist who dares to make music that no one else would touch. Think his rock opera about a group of Mexican Latinas on a wild European vacation, traveling from England to the Netherlands by train and getting into all sorts of chaos. He deserves this award because in a world full of boring, safe artists chasing likes and streams, Harry Merry stays true to his weird genius. Plus, he was the first guest on my talkshow pilot, The Sina Khani Show, back in the pilot days where he delivered legendary moments like performing Stevie Storm with lyrics that had everyone cracking up, demonstrating his lucky face and disco dance moves that still haunt my dreams. And I directed his music video for The Sky-Fun Reels and Angelica Kneels, a collaboration with talents like Tamara Woestenburg, Joop van Dongeren, Martin Ruiten, and Bruno Ferro Xavier da Silva. Shout outs to you all as well. We presented the award at the Unsafe House during the Scorched Earth event on December 19, 2025, and he carries it everywhere like a boss. Check my instagram post for that. It’s funny. Congrats, Harry Merry. You are still kicking ass. And I’m looking forward to collaborate with you on some weird as shit again soon. "