There are four categories: Best Artist, Best Group, Cross-Cultural Collaboration

and Newcomer – the results from the public vote generate the final nominees, the top four in each category.

The winners, selected by the Songlines editorial team, listed below, will be published in the June issue of Songlines, (#68) on sale from April 30 2010. The winners will also be announced on BBC Radio 3’s ‘World on 3’ programme, on April 30, by last year’s Best Artist winner, Rokia Traoré.

A 16-track compilation album (SPLCD003) featuring the four winners and 12 final nominees is out now on CD and download. A Songlines Music Awards 2010 app, for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, featuring excerpts and profiles on the winners and nominees, is also available to download for free from the iTunes App store.

“The audience for world music is greater now than it’s ever been,” says Simon Broughton, editor-in-chief of Songlines, “and it’s reaching out in ever more diverse directions. It’s still essential to have awards in which the leading names can be celebrated and the new and innovative names highlighted.”

And the winners are…

Best Artist

Goran Bregović

(for the album Alkohol on Wrasse Records)

Goran Bregović will be presented with his Songlines Music Award by Simon Broughton after his performance at the Festival de Jazz de Nice on July 18

Best Group

Staff Benda Bilili

(for the album Très Très Fort on Crammed Discs)

Staff Benda Bilili will be presented with their Songlines Music Award after their performance at WOMAD Charlton Park on July 23

Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara

(for the album Tell No Lies on Real World)

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara will be presented with their Songlines Music Award after their performance at WOMAD Charlton Park on July 24

Newcomer

Deolinda

(for the album Canção ao Lado on World Connection)

Deolinda will be presented with their Songlines Music Award by Jo Frost, Songlines editor, after their performance at CCB in Lisbon on June 8

Songlines Music Awards 2010 CD is on sale now

www.songlines.co.uk/music-awards

BEST ARTIST

Goran Bregović (for the album Alkohol – Sljivovica & Champagne on Blue Wrasse)

Bassekou Kouyaté (for the album I Speak Fula with Ngoni ba on Out Here Records)

Oumou Sangaré (for the album Seya on World Circuit)

Lura (for the album Eclipse on Lusafrica)

BEST GROUP

Gypsy Groovz Orchestra Goes TuttiMundi (for the album Night Train for Lovers and Thieves on Network Medien)

Staff Benda Bilili (for the album Très Très Fort on Crammed Discs)

Tinariwen (for the album Imidiwan: Companions on Independiente)

Shooglenifty (for the album Murmichan on Shoogle Records)

CROSS-CULTURAL COLLABORATION

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara (for the album Tell No Lies on Real World)

Transglobal Underground (for the album Run Devils & Demon (Best Of) on Nascente)

Stockholm Lisboa Project (for the album Diagonal on Westpark)

Faiz Ali Faiz/Titi Robin (for the album Jaadu on Accords Croisés)

NEWCOMER

Invisible System (for the album Punt: Made in Ethiopia on Harper Diabaté)

Deolinda (for the album Canção ao Lado on World Connection)

Speed Caravan (for the album Kalashnik Love on Real World)

Mamer (for the album Eagle on Real World)

“The audience for world music is greater now than it’s ever been,” says Simon Broughton, editor-in-chief of Songlines, “and it’s reaching out in ever more diverse directions. The fact that we have Balkan maestro Goran Bregović and Western China’s Mamer as nominees is indicative of that. But it’s still essential to have awards in which the leading names can be feted and the new and innovative names highlighted.”

Songlines is also releasing a compilation album, distributed by Proper Music, on March 22, 2010, featuring all 16 nominated artists.
www.songlines.co.uk/music-awards