BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music

The BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music was an award given to world music artists between 2002 and 2008, sponsored by BBC Radio 3. The award was thought up by fRoots magazine's editor Ian Anderson, inspired by the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Until 2006, the awards panel was chaired by Charlie Gillett and the awards shows co-ordinated by Alex Webb.

Award categories included: Africa, Asia/Pacific, Americas, Europe, Mid East and North Africa, Newcomer, Culture Crossing, Club Global, Album of the Year, and Audience Award. Initial lists of nominees in each category were selected annually by a panel of several thousand industry experts. Shortlisted nominees were voted on by a twelve-member jury, which selected the winners in every category except for the Audience Award category. These jury members were appointed and presided over by the BBC.^[1]

The annual awards ceremony was held at various venues including the Ocean in Hackney, Sage in Gateshead, the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, the Brixton Academy and finally at the BBC Proms. Winners were given an award called a "Planet," designed by Croatian sculptor Anita Sulimanovic in 2003.^[2]

In March 2009, the BBC made a decision to axe the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music.^[3][4]

The Awards concert took place on 24 March 2003. The award recipients were as follows:

Africa

Winner: Orchestra Baobab

Runners-up: Bembeya Jazz, Kassé Mady Diabaté, Tony Allen

Asia/Pacific

Winner: Mahwash & Ensemble Kaboul

Runners-up: Te Vaka, Trilok Gurtu, Alka Yagnik

Americas

Winner: Los de Abajo

Runners-up: Susana Baca, Yusa, Lila Downs

Europe

Winner: Mariza

Runners-up: Ojos de Brujo, Kimmo Pohjonen, Sergey Starostin

Middle East and North Africa

Winner: Samira Said.^[5]

Runners-up: Kayhan Kalhor, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Yair Dalal

Newcomer

Winner: Gotan Project

Runners-up: DuOuD, Mariza, Yusa

Boundary Crossing

Winner: Ellika & Solo

Runners-up: Papa Noël & Papi Oviedo, Oi Va Voi, Gotan Project

Critics Award

Winner: Orchestra Baobab

Runners-up: Eliza Carthy, Salif Keita, Youssou N'Dour

Sources: 2003 nominees^[6] and winners^[7]

Africa

Winner: Daara J

Runners-up: Cesária Évora, Oumou Sangaré, Rokia Traoré

Asia/Pacific

Winner: Sevara Nazarkhan

Runners-up: Huun-Huur-Tu, Trilok Gurtu, Munojot Yo‘lchiyeva

Americas

Winner: Ibrahim Ferrer

Runners-up: Omar Sosa, Caetano Veloso, Tribalistas

Europe

Winner: Ojos de Brujo

Runners-up: Kroke, Radio Tarifa, Tamara Obrovac

Middle East and North Africa

Winner: Kadim Al Sahir

Runners-up: Mercan Dede, Khaled, Souad Massi

Newcomer

Winner: Warsaw Village Band

Runners-up: Ojos de Brujo, Cibelle, Sevara Nazarkhan

Boundary Crossing

Winner: Think Of One

Runners-up: Bob Brozman, Manu Chao, DuOud

Club Global

Winner: DJ Dolores and Orchestra Santa Massa

Runners-up: Mercan Dede, Panjabi MC, Zuco 103

Critics Award

Winner: Rokia Traoré

Runners-up: Abyssinia Infinite, John Spiers and Jon Boden, Oi Va Voi

Audience Award

Winner: Kadim Al Sahir

Runners-up: Cesária Évora, Sevara Nazarkhan, Tamara Obrovac

Source: 2004 winners and nominees

The hosts for the BBC Awards for World Music 2005 Poll Winners' Concert were Eliza Carthy and Benjamin Zephaniah. The award recipients were as follows:

Africa

Winner: Tinariwen

Runners-up: Thandiswa Mazwai, Rokia Traore, Youssou N'Dour

Asia/Pacific

Winner: Kaushiki Chakrabarty

Runners-up: Faiz Ali Faiz, Sainkho Namtchylak, Sevara Nazarkhan

Americas

Winner: Lhasa

Runners-up: Bebel Gilberto, Bajofondo Tango Club, Lila Downs

Europe

Winner: Amparanoia

Runners-up: Enzo Avitabile & Bottari, Ivo Papasov, Ojos de Brujo

Middle East and North Africa

Winner: Khaled

Runners-up: The Chehade Brothers, Mercan Dede, Souad Massi

Newcomer

Winner: Chango Spasiuk

Runners-up: Ba Cissoko, Amparanoia, Yasmin Levy

Boundary Crossing

Winner: Bebo Valdés and Diego El Cigala

Runners-up: Björk, Clotaire K, Lhasa

Club Global

Winner: Clotaire K

Runners-up: Gilles Peterson, Gotan Project, Mercan Dede

Critics Award

Winner: Youssou N'Dour

Runners-up: Lhasa, Tinariwen, Andrew Cronshaw

Audience Award

Winner: Ivo Papasov

Runners-up: The Chehade Brothers, Enzo Avitabile & Bottari, Mercan Dede

Source: 2005 winners and nominees

Africa

Winner: Amadou & Mariam

Runners-up: Emmanuel Jal, Ali Farka Toure, Lura

The Americas

Winner: Ry Cooder

Runners-up: Omar Sosa, Carlos Vives, Seu Jorge

Middle East and North Africa

Winner: Souad Massi

Runners-up: Ilham al-Madfai, Rachid Taha, Dhafer Youssef

Asia/Pacific

Winner: Sain Zahoor

Runners-up: Faiz Ali Faiz, Susheela Raman, Yat-Kha

Europe

Winner: Fanfare Ciocarlia

Runners-up: Armenian Navy Band, Enzo Avitabile and Bottari, Mariza

Club Global

Winner: DJ Shantel

Runners-up: M.I.A, Cheb i Sabbah, Mercan Dede

Boundary Crossing

Winners: Nitin Sawhney

Runners-up: Asha Bhosle and Kronos Quartet, Kimmo Pohjonen, Yasmin Levy

Newcomer

Winner: Konono N°1

Runners-up: Dobet Gnahore, Daby Toure, Lura

Album of the Year

Winner: Amadou and Mariam - Dimanche à Bamako

Runners-up: Thione Seck - Orientation, Salif Keita - M'Bemba, Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate - In the Heart of the Moon

Audience Award

Winner: Armenian Navy Band - How Much is Your’s

Source: 2006 winners and nominees

Africa

Winner: Mahmoud Ahmed

Runners-up: Ali Farka Toure, Bongo Maffin, Toumani Diabate

The Americas

Winner: Gogol Bordello

Runners-up: Ben Harper, Fonseca, Lila Downs

Middle East and North Africa

Winner: Ghada Shbeir

Runners-up: Les Boukakes, Natacha Atlas, Yasmin Levy

Asia/Pacific

Winner: Debashish Bhattacharya

Runners-up: Anoushka Shankar, Dadawa, Fat Freddy's Drop

Europe

Winner: Camille

Runners-up: Lo'Jo, Mariza, Ojos de Brujo

Club Global

Winner: Gotan Project

Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Cheb i Sabbah, Mercan Dede

Culture Crossing

Winner: Maurice El Medioni & Roberto Rodriguez

Runners-up: Aida Nadeem, Ska Cubano, [[Think of One] https://www.discogs.com/artist/188035-Think-Of-One]

Newcomer

Winner: K'naan

Runners-up: Etran Finatawa, Nuru Kane, Sara Tavares

Album of the Year

Winner: Ali Farka Touré - Savane

Runners-up: Bellowhead - Burlesque, Lila Downs - La Cantina Narada, Toumani Diabaté and the Symmetric Orchestra - Boulevard de l'Independance

Audience Award

Winner: Ghada Shbeir

Source: 2007 winners, 2007 nominees

Africa

Winner: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

Runners-up: Simphiwe Dana, Tinariwen, Toumani Diabaté and the Symmetric Orchestra

The Americas

Winner: Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective

Runners-up: Bajofondo Tango Club, Hazmat Modine, Maria Rita

Middle East and North Africa

Winner: Rachid Taha

Runners-up: Malouma, Nass El Ghiwane, The Idan Raichel Project

Asia/Pacific

Winner: Sa Dingding

Runners-up: Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale, Faiz Ali Faiz, Huun Huur Tu

Europe

Winner: Son de la Frontera

Runners-up: Manu Chao, Ojos de Brujo, Thierry 'Titi' Robin

Club Global

Winner: Transglobal Underground

Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Bajofondo Tango Club, Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Culture Crossing

Winner: Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara

Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Bole2Harlem, The Idan Raichel Project

Newcomer

Winner: Mayra Andrade

Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Vieux Farka Touré

Album of the Year

Winner: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Segu Blue

Runners-up: Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective - Wátina, Orchestra Baobab - Made In Dakar, Tinariwen - Aman Iman

Source: 2008 nominees, 2008 winners

• Awards for world music