The Best Albums of 2022-2023: Finalists & Winners
The Finalists in each of 12 categories were selected from the multitudes of CDs that were considered.
The winner’s names are bounded by stars.
For those of you who submitted recordings for the awards, thank you for your excellent work. It is our hope that these awards will help all indie artists by generating increased awareness of independently produced music from around the world.
| Artist | Title | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | |||
| Geneviève Racette Heavy Diamond Ring **The Accidentals** | Satellite All Out Of Angels Time Out | Self produced Cowboy Cowabunga Self produced |
|
| Acoustic Ensemble | |||
| The Slocan Ramblers The South Austin Moonlighters **Viv And Riley** | Up the Hill and Through the Fog From Here to Home Imaginary People | Self produced Self produced Free Dirt |
|
| Americana | |||
| Abigail Lapell **Eric Bibb** Katie Pederson | Stolen Time Ridin’ Limitless | Self produced Repute/Stony Plain Records Self produced |
|
| Anthology | |||
| **Various** Various Various | Feels Like Home Havana Meets Kingston Part 2 Global Reggae | Putumayo Cumbancha Putumayo |
|
| Instrumental | |||
| Helge Lien & Knut Hem Miguel Espinoza Fusion **Natalie McMaster & Donnell Leahy** | Villingsberg Gabriella Canvas | Ozella Music Self produced Self produced |
|
| Jazz | |||
| Adrien Brogna & Andres Klenes **Miguel Espinoza Fusion** Ross Martin | Luz de Lua Living in a Daydream Sylvan Tunnel | Self produced Self produced Homerecords |
|
| Latin | |||
| **Lily Henley** **Maison Bélier** Roberto Lopez | Oras Dezaorasdas Las Cosas del Querer Ritual | Hearth Music Ventilador Music Curura Music |
|
| Multi-Genre Fusion | |||
| **Ayrad** No-No Boy Various | III Empire Electric Acoustic Latino | Les Faux Monnayeurs Smithsonian Folkways Putumayo |
|
| Progressive Edge | |||
| Kolonien **The Deer** Violons Barbares | Till Skogen The Beautiful Undead Monsters and Fantastic Creatures | Cumbancha Self produced Self produced |
|
| Rock | |||
| **The Arcadian Wild** Elin Furubotn Good Morning Bedlam | Welcome Resirkulerte Rim og Regler Lulu | Self produced Self produced Self produced |
|
| Singer-Songwriter | |||
| Cinder Well **Katie Boeck** Lydia Luce | Cadence Calico Garden Songs | Free Dirt Right Light Self produced |
|
| World Music | |||
| Kimi Djabate **The Secret Trio** Various | Dindin Coexist Acoustic World 6 | Cumbancha Kalan Putumayo |
Songs of Note (Other Great Songs from 2022-23)
| Artist | Song | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abby Posner | Slowly | Second Chances | Blackbird |
| Bobby Cool | American Dream | Family Time | Festival Recording Co. |
| Damn Tall Buildings | Podcast | Sleeping Dogs | Self produced |
| Dota Kehr | Sommer fur Sommer | Acoustic World | Putumayo |
| Edie Carey | Who I Was | The Veil | Self produced |
| Suntou Susso | Ekanasong | African Yoga | Putumayo |
| Erella Atlan | Origami | Acoustic World 5 | Putumayo |
| Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra | Smokey Mtn Railway | Broken Circle Sessions | Self produced |
| Jai-Jagdeesh | Mera Man Lochai | World Relaxation 2 | Acoustic Europe |
| Johnsmith | Backroads | Backroads | Blue Pines |
| Julie Jurgens | Thief | Appointed Tasks | ButterBean Records |
| La Marisoul and Los Texmaniacs | Mucho Corazon | Corazones & Canciones | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Le Diable à Cinq | Suite Labelle | Tempête | Self-Produced |
| Lindsay Clark | Diamonds | Carpe Noctem | Self-Produced |
| Lunau & Sund | En Seng Af Guld | Acoustic Europe | Putumayo |
| Lynne Hanson | Hip Like Cohen | Ice Cream in November | Self-Produced |
| Karima Nayt | Meliy | Acoustic World 5 | Putumayo |
| Michael McGoldrick | Buain na Choirce | World Chill | Putumayo |
| Minük | Madre de Luz | Global Lounge 2 | Putumayo |
| My Silent Bravery | Where Do We Go | We’re All the Same | MWS Records |
| The Rifters | The Circle | The Enchanted World | Howlin’ Dog Records |
| Sandra Bernardo Natalia Doco | Camina Que Pasa | Reggae World | Putumayo |
| Scott Ibex | All I Ever Wanted | Love Alarm | Self-Produced |
| Sonaura | Ever After | Acoustic Folk II | Putumayo |
| Sultans of String | Kǫ́ | Walking Through the Fire | Self-Produced |
| Wally Barnick | Home to My Heart | New Road | Self-Produced |