Sanremo 2026: who is Angelica Bove, winner of the Critics' Award in the Nuove Proposte section

The 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival, in the Nuove Proposte (New Talent) section, crowned Nicolò Filippucci, who beat Angelica Bove in the final showdown with "Laguna". The verdict from the stage, however, diverged from that of the critics, who identified Bove as the most significant figure of this year's edition.

At the Ariston Roof Press Room, 84 accredited journalists cast their votes: with 43 votes, Angelica Bove wins the "Mia Martini" Critics' Award for the Nuove Proposte section. Behind her, Mazzariello with 26 votes. The Lucio Dalla Press Room shows the same leaning, awarding its own prize to "Mattone" with 74 votes. Second place goes to Filippucci's "Laguna" (37 votes), followed by Mazzariello's "Manifestazione d'amore" (19) and Blind El Ma and Soniko's "I miei DM" (3).

So while the official title goes to Filippucci, it's Angelica Bove who has captured the attention of industry insiders.

Angelica Bove's profile

Born in Rome in 2003, Angelica Bove arrives at the Ariston with a personal and artistic journey marked by an event that has left an indelible mark on her story: the loss of both parents at the age of 18. Orphaned alongside her five siblings — one older, one younger, and three born with her as part of a quadruplet pregnancy — she has turned that trauma into narrative and musical material. "It's a weight I'll carry with me for the rest of my life, but also a starting point for rebuilding," she told Corriere in an interview. She discovered her voice — raspy and deep — almost by chance a few years ago. At 19, she began posting covers on TikTok, finding on the platform an immediate, direct means of expression.

In 2023 she joined the cast of "X Factor" on the team led by Ambra Angiolini, performing the original track "L'inverno" in the semifinal, written by Tananai, Davide Simonetta and Paolo Antonacci. In 2024 she released "Bellissimo e poi niente" and took part in Sanremo Giovani with "La nostra malinconia", being eliminated in the final.

The turning point came with "Mattone", presented at Sanremo Giovani in 2025 and then brought to the Nuove Proposte section. The song takes an introspective look at the weight of two fundamental losses in her life. The title sums up the song's meaning: a burden that weighs you down, but one that can become something constructive to build on. “Dicono che porto un peso / che per me è un mattone / ma un mattone serve a costruire”, she sings in the central passage.

On January 30th her debut album, "Tana", was released, produced with Matteo Alieno and Federico Nardelli — the latter also behind, among others, "Musica Leggerissima" by Colapesce and Dimartino. A debut that reinforces the impression that emerged at Sanremo: chart position aside, Angelica Bove stands out as one of the most distinctive and compelling voices in Italy's new singer-songwriter scene.

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