Zhiva Wins Milan Mladenovic Award for 'Atom'

When Iva Pazin, better known by her stage name Zhiva, stepped onto the BitefArtCafe stage last night, September 21, to accept the Milan Mladenovic Award trophy, she admitted she had barely composed herself. The date carried its own symbolism: it fell on what would have been the birthday of the Ekatarina Velika frontman, in the same venue where the award is handed out whenever the ceremony isn’t held in Makarska.

The Milan Mladenovic Award is given out by the Milan Mladenovic Foundation for the best song from the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and by tradition it is presented every year on September 21. For the past three years the ceremony had been held in Makarska, the seaside town where Mladenovic’s mother Danica used to spend her summers, but this year it returned to Belgrade. The birthday was marked in parallel on the coast, with the fourth edition of the Modro i Zeleno festival, named after one of his songs.

With the song “Atom,” Zhiva became the eighth laureate in the award’s history. The winner was chosen by a regional panel of judges that this year included Pavica Cabrijan and Lada Furlan Zaborac from Croatia, along with Nemanja Djordjevic, Jovan Matic and Ana Radonjic, also known as Zoe Kida, from Serbia. Along with the trophy, made in collaboration with the Futro Design Studio, the winner takes home 3,000 euros and a run of performances: at Arsenal Fest in Kragujevac, the Ship showcase festival in Sibenik and the Modro i Zeleno festival, plus a direct spot at the Musicology Showcase by Lenovo.

“This is a huge responsibility, given the name the award carries,” said jury member Pavica Cabrijan, explaining the panel’s choice of this year’s laureate.

How Many Songs Entered the Competition?

This year’s competition drew 173 eligible entries. The jury first narrowed the field to 47 songs for the semifinal round, then to 12 finalists, and finally to five superfinalists. Alongside Zhiva, that closing circle included Pocket Palma with “Boli me,” Roba bez greske with “Bez tebe,” Dolores and Retrospektiva with “Ko gasi svetlo,” and Lelee and Jelena Petosevic with “Igra Bela mecka.” The figure of 173 applications says more about the state of the regional scene than any single song: even in its eighth year, the award remains a place where young artists still want to break through, not just an entry on the calendar.

Zhiva herself took the news by surprise, and it showed on stage.

“If I haven’t fainted by now… This is an enormous honor, to be part of a regional scene that is so worthwhile and wonderful. Thank you to the Milan Mladenovic Foundation for supporting us through this award.”

She said it moments after taking the trophy, adding that the recognition confirmed she belongs to a scene she has long admired.

Zhiva also picked up the award for most inspiring vocal performance, though accounts differ on who actually presented it. Danas and Nova report it was a recognition given in partnership with the Balkanrock portal, whose editors decided the microphone shaped statuette should go to her. Telegraf, on the other hand, states that the vocal award was presented by the agency Mitros Music. Whichever account is accurate, the result was the same: two statuettes for the same performer on the same night.

Who Were the Other Winners?

The award for best lyrics, presented by the Novi Sad bookstore Bulevar Books, went to Stefan Savic Bezz for the song “Jaz(z).” Along with a 200 euro voucher, he received a framed manuscript of Mladenovic’s song “Krug.” The award for most innovative drummer was presented by Ivan Fece Firci, former drummer of Ekatarina Velika, now a member of the Foundation’s board and inventor of the Firchie Drums kit. This year’s winner was Milan Jejina, known as The Yeqyja, for the song “Bukvarom po glavi,” performed as a duet with PetromZ.

The evening closed with a guest performance from Elena Vasova, last year’s laureate, following the tradition that ties each generation of winners to the next.

What sets the Milan Mladenovic Award apart from most regional prizes isn’t the size of the cash fund but the consistent production built around it: a compilation of finalists comes out every year, the network of partner festivals keeps growing, and the previous year’s laureate always closes the next ceremony. That infrastructure is what gives a song like “Atom” a chance to be heard beyond a single night at BitefArtCafe, and the absence of exactly this kind of infrastructure is something the regional scene felt before the award even existed.