The BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music are an internationally renowned mark of excellence and have been instrumental in helping many artists reach a broader international audience. Last year’s Awards were broadcast live to over 25 countries, with countless more watching or listening on-line. Designed by Croatian sculptor Anita Sulimanovic, the coveted ‘Planet’ has been won by diverse luminaries such as Mariza, Yat Kha, Konono No. 1, Orchestra Baobab, Gotan Project, Ry Cooder, Manu Chao, Nitin Sawhney, Ali Farka Touré, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliza Carthy and Gogol Bordello.

Vote Now for the audience award!

The nominees for this year’s ‘Planets’ include acclaimed Franco-Spanish pop star Manu Chao, trancey desert bluesmen Tinariwen and Algerian rebel rocker Rachid Taha. Malian ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate picks up two nominations including Best Newcomer, while the club friendly Balkan Beat Box are nominated in three categories. Electro-tango outfit Bajofondo Tango Club (who play the Royal Festival Hall on April 4th) pick up two nominations. Other names to watch out for include sublime Cape Verdean diva Mayra Andrade (performing at the Barbican on March 16th in a double-bill with fellow nominees Son De La Frontera), South African diva Simphiwe Dana (QEH on February 21st), and the stunningly beautiful Sa Ding Ding, who has been described as China’s answer to Bjork.

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of the remarkable Belize musician and champion of Garifuna culture, Andy Palacio, a nominee in the Americas category, who passed away on January 19th. Palacio’s unique cultural contribution will be recognised at the Award Winners’ Ceremony in April.

BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music: Nominees

There are eleven awards in total:-

AFRICA
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (Mali)
Toumani Diabate & Symmetric Orchestra (Mali)
Tinariwen (Mali)
Simphiwe Dana (South Africa)

AMERICAS
Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective (Belize)
Hazmat Modine (USA)
Bajofondo Tango Club (Argentina/Uruguay)
Maria Rita (Brazil)

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Malouma (Mauritania)
Nass El Ghiwane (Morocco)
Rachid Taha (Algeria)
The Idan Raichel Project (Israel)

ASIA PACIFIC
Anoushka Shankar (India)
Faiz Ali Faiz (Pakistan)
Huun-Huur-Tu (Tuva)
Sa Ding Ding (China)

EUROPE
Manu Chao (France/Spain)
Ojos de Brujo (Spain)
Son de la Frontera (Spain)
Thierry Titi Robin (France)

CULTURE CROSSING
Balkan Beat Box (Israel/USA)
Bole 2 Harlem (USA/Ethiopia)
The Idan Raichel Project (Israel)
Juldeh Camara & Justin Adams (Gambia/Britain)

NEWCOMER
Balkan Beat Box (Israel/USA)
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (Mali)
Mayra Andrade (Cape Verde)
Vieux Farka Touré (Mali)

CLUB GLOBAL
Balkan Beat Box (Israel/USA)
Bajofondo Tango Club (Argentina/Uruguay)
Gaudi-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Italy/UK/Pakistan)
Transglobal Underground (Britain)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba with ‘Segue Blue’

THE AUDIENCE AWARD
Voting closes 9 May!
WORLD SHAKER AWARD

Key Dates:
Saturday 5th July Audience Award winner announced on BBC Radio 3 (World Routes Program 3 – 4pm)
Weds 30th July Poll Winners’ Concert. Details to be announced.

The Awards For World Music: Voting

Nominees for all categories except for Album of the Year, the Audience Award and World Shaker Award are voted for by the 3,000 delegates to WOMEX, the annual World Music Expo.

An additional nomination in each of the geographical categories is chosen by music specialists at the BBC World Service.

The winners are then selected by the Awards for World Music Jury (appointed and presided over by the BBC who does not have a vote in the process). Full details of the jury can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3).

The Album of the Year is voted on by a panel of critics assembled by fRoots magazine.

The Audience Award is chosen by the general public, who vote from the overall nominations list on the BBC Radio 3 web-site.

World Shaker Award celebrates the work of an individual, outside the limelight whose work has furthered the cause of world music. The award is decided by the Awards for World Music jury.

Biographies and further information on the artists can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2008