IONNA

2026 Newlin Music Prize Short List nominee IONNA is a Richmond, Virginia-based synth-pop project blending cinematic electronic production, ethereal vocals, post-punk atmosphere, and emotionally charged songwriting into immersive worlds of music and visual storytelling. Since 2022, IONNA has built a growing presence through frequent performances across the East Coast and New York, developing a reputation for dynamic live shows that fuse atmospheric synth textures with emotionally immersive performance. The project’s debut full-length album IONNAVERSE, released in October 2025, earned recognition on the 2026 Newlin Music Prize Short List for its ambitious fusion of futuristic synth-pop, emotional worldbuilding, and conceptual storytelling. Led by singer-songwriter and creative director Soraya Silene alongside co-producer Ross Wright, IONNA extends beyond music into a distinct visual universe. The project’s latest visual release was co-directed with cinematographer Dietrich Teschner and shot on vintage Super 8 film, reinforcing IONNA’s blend of analog nostalgia, romantic surrealism, and retro-futurist aesthetics. Inspired by artists like Kate Bush, St. Vincent, and The Cure, IONNA exists at the intersection of dream-pop atmosphere, cyberfeminist fantasy, and electronic pop experimentation.