Pop Idol Aneta Langerova clinches Czech Nightingale absolute winner award

This Saturday, leading artists gathered at Prague's State Opera to receive and present the Cesky Slavik - Czech Nightingale - music awards. The event was hosted by celebrity radio presenters Milos Pokorny and Roman Ondracek. Among the winners: thirteen year old Ewa Farna from Ostrava, who was voted best newcomer of the year. Dita Asiedu has more on who got what:

Aneta Langerova, photo: CTK

Nineteen year-old Aneta Langerova had much to celebrate on Saturday night not only clinching the best female singer title but also the absolute winner award with over 65,000 of the 153,000 votes sent. For the second year running, the country's 2004 Pop Idol winner defeated Lucie Bila who had held onto the title for almost a decade. Lucie Bila did not even perform at the event. "I want to enjoy the atmosphere quietly this year and come back with a bang next year," she said. Lucie Bila won silver. Helena Vondrackova - another singer who has been dominating the charts for decades - won bronze.

Karel Gott, photo: CTK

But while it was a good night for one Pop Idol, it was a bad one for the other. Pop Idol Vlastimil Horvath was voted best newcomer last year just months after winning the Pop Idol competition. But unlike Aneta, he has not managed to wrest the best male singer award from its traditional winner Karel Gott. Vlastimil Horvath did not get enough votes to make the top three.

Karel Gott, on the other hand, won for the 32nd time. But this year, he says, was more overwhelming than ever before: "Despite my growing age and the competitive atmosphere, I've been able to hold on for forty years. My fans must have realised that what I do is not about making money. I have enough to lead a comfortable life. They know that I enjoy entertaining people and love making music," he said after the ceremony. Czech singer Petr Kolar won silver - little known even a couple of years ago - and Dan Barta won bronze.

Divokej Bill, photo: CTK

The best group category was won by Divokej Bill, which entertains its fans with circus-like performances. The hard rock band Kabat won silver, and Chinaski, the winners of last year, fell to third place.

The "Skokany Roku" or artists who jumped the most places up the charts, were Iva Frulingova in the female category, Monkey Business lead singer Matej Ruppert in the male category, and the band Wanastovi Vjeci, who returned after a long absence.

The Czech Nightingale Awards have been held every year since 1996, continuing with the traditional Golden Nightingale awards that were held from the 1960s until 1991. Unlike the Andel Awards that are presented to artists by a professional jury, the Czech Nightingale is chosen by fans.