Pit Bühler has been photographing the Swiss Music Awards backstage and on stage for several years. This has resulted in an ongoing series of images that not only capture the big moments of the show, but also the many situations surrounding the event - from rehearsals and performances to quieter moments backstage - for which Bühler prefers to use a compact Leica camera, whose restrained presence leaves the moment undisturbed and creates the calm in which such images can be created

The portraits of the winners are a central component of this series. They are created immediately after the award ceremony in a mobile studio set-up behind the stage. Dramatic lighting is used to model the emotions of the moment. Joy, relief, pride and sometimes even the palpable tension of an intense evening become visible in these concentrated portraits.

The footage is complemented by scenes from rehearsals, impressions of the energetic performances on stage and observations from the backstage area. This is where the quieter images are often created - moments of preparation, concentration or brief encounters and visible friendships between artists.

Together, these photographs form a multi-layered visual narrative of the event. In addition to the glamorous moments, they also show the transitions and emotions behind the show: the path from the first sound check to the moment when the prize is accepted. A photographic approach to the atmosphere of an evening in which music, excitement, joy, disappointment and encounters come together.

In addition to national stars such as Beatrice Egli, Loco Escrito, Stephan Eicher, Gölä, Loredana, Nemo and Büne Huber, international artists are also part of this series, including Lewis Capaldi, George Ezra, Dalton Ray, Rea Garvey, Michael Patrick Kelly and Calum Scott, among many others.