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 Noel & 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


 * 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