Camilla Kerslake
As the pop world gears up for the biggest night of the year, the UK’s recorded music association, the BPI, today announced the nominations for the NS&I Album of the Year for The BRITs’ sister event The Classical BRIT Awards 2010 with NS&I.
Each year, The Classical BRIT Awards highlight the ten biggest selling classical albums of the past 12 months as they are nominated for the coveted NS&I Album of the Year Award, the only category to be voted for by the public.
As classical music continues to cross into the pop arena, most notably this week with AndrÈ Rieu the Dutch violinist at #2 in the official album chart, nearly all of the nominated albums made a massive impact on both the pop and classical album charts.
Welsh artists dominate the category with three of the album nominations. Fron Male Voice Choir (their third nomination in this category) for ‘Memory Lane’, Choir Wars winners Only Men Aloud with their debut ‘Band Of Brothers’ and X-Factor contestant Rhydian with his debut ‘O Fortuna’.
The only two female nominations go to debut albums from Britain’s Got Talent phenomenon, 14-year old Faryl Smith with ‘Faryl’ (the fastest selling solo classical album in British chart history) and Gary Barlow discovery Camilla Kerslake with her eponymous debut.
Returning for their second nomination for NS&I Album of the Year are the three Catholic fathers, The Priests with their second release ‘Harmony’. This year they go head to head with the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI who appears on ‘Alma Mater – Music From The Vatican’ and receives a first Classical BRIT Award nomination.
Following in the footsteps of last year’s winners the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, and hoping to repeat their success are The Coldstream Guards with their debut Universal release ‘Heroes’. Also nominated are former NS&I Album of the Year winners Blake with ‘Together’ and last year’s Composer of the Year winner, Howard Goodall with ‘Enchanted Voices’.
Voting begins on Monday 15 February and will close at 23:59 on Friday 23 April 2010. Votes can be cast via classicfm.co.uk/music. The winners will be announced at the 11th annual Classical BRIT Awards with NS&I at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 13 May 2010. The event will be hosted by Myleene Klass and will feature performances from the Lifetime Achievement recipient Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and current chart phenomenon AndrÈ Rieu. More performers will be announced shortly.
In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award and NS&I Album of the Year, there will be six other awards handed out on the night:
Male Artist of the Year
Female Artist of the Year
Composer of the Year
Young British Classical Performer or Group
Soundtrack of the Year
Critics’ Award
Nominations for The Classical BRIT Awards 2010 with NS&I will be revealed at the nominations launch on Monday 12 April 2010.
The Classical BRIT Awards was established in 2000 to recognise the outstanding achievements of classical musicians and the growth of classical music sales in the UK. The awards have proved their vital importance to the UK music industry with the huge impact the event has on records sales of those artists performing, winning and nominated.