Anděl Music Awards: 30 years of Czech music
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Anděl Music Awards (the Czech equivalent to a Grammy), organisers are promising a show to remember, with live performances and a retrospective look at seminal bands and artists who have graced the stage over the decades.
The ceremony itself will rightly star this year’s nominees, chosen by a group of 379 producers, journalists, playwrights and musicians. Among them are veterans like the eclectic singer-songwriter Lenka Dusilová, the alternative pop band the Tata Bojs, folksinger Jaromír Nohavica, the funk band Monkey Business, rock-pop singer Aneta Langerová and bluegrass legend Robert Křesťan. Newer and rising talents include the soulful singer Lenny, rappers Viktor Sheen and Yzomandias, and young solo artist Amelie Siba.
Competing in the Best Female Solo Artist category are veterans Lenka Dusilová, whose album “Řeka” (River) has also been nominated for Album of the Year and introduces a new repertoire, sound and array of personal themes, and Aneta Langerová, with her album “Dvě Slunce” (Two Suns). They are up against singer-songwriter Lenny, whose husky voice has drawn comparisons to Janis Joplin; her second LP, “Weird & Wonderful”, sung entirely in English, has been hailed by Czech critics as among the best pop music albums of recent years.
Vying for the Best Male Solo Artist title are Dan Bárta, one of the country’s most versatile singers, with his first album in six years, “Kráska a zvířený prach” (Beauty and Whirling Dust), which is also his fifth studio album recorded with the band Illustratosphere; Jaromír Nohavica, a folk singer and poet from Ostrava known for politically minded and existential lyrics, with his latest LP, “Máma mi na krk dala klíč” (Mum put a key around my neck); and Štěpán Hebík, under the nom de plume 7krát3, who has had a number of hit singles, now compiled in an LP called “Promiň” (Sorry).
Competing for Best Album of the Year are two of the contenders for the solo title, Lenka Dusilová and Jaromír Nohavica, along with the alt pop band Tata Bojs, with their LP “Jedna nula” (One zero); the funk band Monkey Business, with their album “Freedom On Sale; and the 2012 Anděl Music Awards winning alt rock band Zrní with their LP “Nebeský klid” (Heavenly peace).
In the much-anticipated Discovery of the Year category are Amelie Siba, who recently won the Apollo music critics’ award for Czech album of the year for her debut LP, called “Dye My Hair”, released last year when she was just 17; Deaf Heart with “Soft Heart Attack” and Kateřina Marie Tichá, who toured for years with acoustic roots music group Jelen, with her debut album “Sami”.
Full list of nominations for the 2021 Anděl Music Awards:
Album
Lenka Dusilová - Řeka
Jaromír Nohavica - Máma mi na krk dala Klíč
Tata Bojs - Jedna nula
Track
Lenka Dusilová - Vlákna
Jaromír Nohavica - Máma mi na krk dala klíč
Tata Bojs - Zvony
Group
Monkey Business - Freedom On Sale
Tata Bojs - Jedna nula
Zrní - Nebeský klid
Discovery
Deaf Heart - Soft Heart Attack
Amelie Siba - Dye My Hair
Kateřina Marie Tichá - Sami
Male artist
7 times3 - I
Dan Bárta & Illustratosphere - Kráska a zvířený prach Beauty and Beast Dust
Jaromír Nohavica - Mom gave me the key to my neck
Female artist
Lenka Dusilová - Řeka
Aneta Langerová - Dvě Slunce
Lenny - Weird & Wonderful
Video clip
Bert & Friends - Piš mi básně (directed by P. Borovička)
Viktor Sheen - Poslední přání (directed by P. Simon)
Yzomandias - Melanž (directed by J. Ruttner, J. Salavec, P. Vlček, Yzomandias)
Slovak album
Katarína Knechtová - Svety
Le Payaco - Moving in motionless
Richard Müller - An hour between a dog and a wolf
Alternative and Electronic
Lenka Dusilová - Řeka
Amelie Siba - Dye My Hair
Tábor - Liebe
Folk
Robert Křesťan & Druhá Tráva - Díl první
Petr Linhart - Nezvěstní
Dagmar Voňková - Archa
Jazz
Concept Art Orchestra - 100 Years
Cotatcha Orchestra - Bigbandová elektronika
Tomáš Liška & Invisible World - Hope
Classical
J. Bartoš, J. Hrůša, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra - Novák: Piano Concerto, Toman and Lesser Virgin
Karel Dohnal - Czech Music For Clarinet
J. Semerádová, E. Traxler - Händel, Leclair: Chaconne pro princeznu
Rap
58G - 58 TAPE VOL.1
Viktor Sheen - Colors
Yzomandias - Prozyum
Rock
Donnie Darko - Yesterdays
Kurtizány z 25. Avenue - Honzíkova cesta
Povodí Ohře - Dva trámy na kříž
