# 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.

## Categories

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.

## Award ceremonies

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

### 2003 winners

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.
    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 and winners

### 2004 winners
#### 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

### 2005 winners

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

### 2006 winners
#### 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

### 2007 winners
#### 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

### 2008 winners
#### 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