The list of nominations for the seventh annual International Classical Music Awards was released this week. A total of 321 audio and video productions were nominated from 119 labels.
The awards cover 15 categories, from early music before 1600 to contemporary works. There are also seven special awards handed out for lifetime achievement and artist of the year, among others.
Conductors among the nominees include Andres Nelsons and John Elliott Gardiner. Among the many artists shortlisted are Martha Argerich, Valery Gergiev, Frank-Peter Zimmermann, Julia Fischer, Daniel Trifonov, Grigory Sokolov and Jordi Savall.
The ICMA awards are the only international competition for classical CDs and DVDs. They were established seven years ago by journalists from classical music magazines, internet portals and radio stations to celebrate the best performances from the more than 10,000 classical music releases annually.
The winners will be revealed in January, before the awards ceremony takes place in Leipzig in April 2017. The full list is available here.