Rhodes MK8/80AE Piano Named Finalist for 2027 NAMM TEC Awards
Leeds, United Kingdom, September 28, 2026 — Rhodes Music announces that the MK8/80AE Piano has been selected as a finalist for the 42nd Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards in the Musical Instrument Hardware category. The TEC Awards recognise achievement in professional audio and music technology. Winners will be announced at The NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, on January 28, 2027.
The recognition comes during Rhodes’ 80th anniversary year. In 1946, Harold Rhodes introduced the Pre-Piano at NAMM. Eight decades later, the MK8/80AE’s selection as a TEC Awards finalist links Rhodes’ current work to an early milestone in the company’s history.
“It’s a particularly special moment to see the MK8/80AE recognised by the NAMM TEC Awards,” says Matt Pelling, CEO of Rhodes Music. “This piano celebrates where Rhodes began, but it also gives us a chance to show where we’re going. Our team has built on the sound and feel musicians know while creating an instrument that speaks to what Rhodes can be in the years ahead.”
The MK8/80AE is a limited edition of Rhodes’ flagship MK8 piano, created to mark the company’s 80th anniversary. Handcrafted in the UK by Rhodes Master Builders, it is limited to 80 instruments worldwide. It pairs the MK8’s electromechanical sound and onboard analogue effects with a gloss-varnished black oak case and legs, chrome detailing, and a transparent hood that reveals the piano’s internal mechanics. Each instrument carries a bespoke 80AE serial plate and a signed certificate of authenticity. An optional MIDI system is available for expanded performance and studio control.
Order books for the MK8/80AE are set to close on October 15, 2026, or earlier if all 80 instruments are allocated. Voting for the 2027 TEC Awards will run from December 1 through December 31, 2026.
For more information, visit https://rhodesmusic.com/the-limited-edition-rhodes-mk8-80ae/
About Rhodes
For Rhodes loyalists around the world, this is a new chapter in Rhodes' history, not a new book. With the Rhodes MK8, we’re returning to the principles, aesthetic, craftsmanship, and pride of Harold Rhodes’ originals. We’re paying homage to the past with our gaze fixed firmly on what lies ahead.
