BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE AWARD

The soprano Kateřina Kněžíková’s album Phidylé, made with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava conducted by Robert Jindra, has garnered acclaim since its release last May (Gramophone Editor's Choice, nomination for the Czech Anděl 2021 prize). Its latest success is receiving the BBC Music Magazine Award in the closely observed Vocal category. Solely earmarked for classical music, and unlike the majority of other prestigious accolades, the winners of the BBC Music Magazine Awards are selected via online public voting worldwide.

The winners of this year's BBC Music Magazine Awards were announced at a ceremony at London's Kings Place on Thursday 28 April. The Czech soprano Kateřina Kněžíková’s album Phidylé came first in the coveted Vocal category, beating in the final round the American mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey and the English Arcangelo ensemble’s recording Tiranno, as well as the American baritone Michael Spyres and the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg’s Baritenor.

The 27 albums nominated for the BBC Music Magazine Awards were released last year by 17 major labels from all over the world. Divided into nine categories (Chamber, Orchestral, Concerto, Choral, Opera, Instrumental, Vocal, Newcomer and Premiere), they are deemed the best of the approximately 175 recordings that were reviewed in BBC Music Magazine over the past year. This year’s nominees included such stellar artists as Cecilia Bartoli, Lucy Crowe, Iestyn Davies, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Sol Gabetta, Krystian Zimerman and Alina Ibragimova, as well as the Sitkovetsky Trio, the Academy of Ancient Music, Camerata Bern, the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antonio Pappano or Sir Simon Rattle, and the Bamberger Symphoniker under Jakub Hrůša. Supraphon released Phidylé, an album featuring fin de siècle songs made by Kateřina Kněžíková with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava conducted by Robert Jindra, in May 2021.