Major Maker, a Toronto-based indie band whose songs Rollercoaster and Talk to You were featured in national ad campaigns last year, has won the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award at Toronto’s North by Northeast Festival.

The $3,000 award recognizes the NXNE artist who is destined to be "the next big thing" as judged by a panel of music experts.

The band was formed in 2006 by Bulgarian-born keyboard player Todor Kobakov and Icelandic vocalist Lindy Vopnfjord, along with Thomas D'Arcy, Ian LeFeuvre and John Ocerbian.

Kobakov has a performance degree in classical piano from University of Toronto and wrote the score for Young People F---ing. He released three albums under the name Cy Scoby.

He also has done string arrangements for Stars, Sarah Slean and others, and has toured as part of Emily Haines' band The Soft Skeleton and Small Sins.

Vopnfjord is a singer-songwriter who has recorded three albums under the name Lindy.

They bring a retro-pop sound to their hits Rollercoaster, which was used in a campaign by Maynards Canady and Talk to You, which was used by Telus.

Their 2007 album is People Carrier.

The NXNE Festival, a showcase for independent music, runs June 12-15 in Toronto.