WOMEX, the World Music trade expo has just announced the winners of the WOMEX Top Label Award.  Compiled by Johannes Theurer and surveyed from the 47 DJs from 24 countries that comprise the World Music Charts Europe, WOMEX recently announced the winners of this year’s WOMEX Top Label Award, along with the top-10 World Music releases.

Congratulations go out to all winners, including the 6 IODA-distributed labels and 5 IODA-distributed artists:

1. Crammed Discs (Belgium)

Crammed is recognized as one of the most exciting & boundary-breaking independent labels worldwide. Based in Brussels & resolutely cosmopolitan, the label has kept reinventing itself, & has been coming up with new forms of fusion, mixing elements of rock, world music, pop & electronica ever since its inception in the early ’80s, often anticipating the musical movements that bloomed during the next two decades. Crammed has released over 250 albums & 250 singles by artists from all over the world.

2. Real World (UK)

Real World Records was founded by WOMAD and Peter Gabriel to provide talented artists from around the world with access to state-of-the-art recording facilities and audiences beyond their geographic region.  The musical relationships generated at WOMAD festivals gave Real World Records confidence that something of this special spirit could be translated into a recording context.  Consequently, the Real World label has become renowned for bringing together musicians who share an empathy with music in general, rather than a shared cultural background.

3. Cumbancha (USA)

4. World Circuit (UK)

World Circuit Records have established their reputation by producing some of the finest world music albums of the past two decades, specialising in music from Cuba and West Africa. The label is best known for the GRAMMY winning Buena Vista Social Club album, which is the biggest selling world music album of all time, and led to the phenomenal rise in popularity of Cuban music. The Buena Vista series continues with solo albums from the GRAMMY winning Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo, Rubén González, Guajiro Mirabal, and the innovative albums from Cachaíto López and Angá Díaz, which take Cuban music into the new millennium and beyond.

5. Six Degrees (USA)

Six Degrees is an eclectic, independent music label that produces and markets genre-bending, accessible recordings that explore world music, ambient, folk, contemporary classical and intelligent pop music. Through consistency of quality, distinctive visual presentation and creative and aggressive marketing, we strive to create releases that stand out from the pack and offer a real alternative to consumers who are looking to discover new sounds from around the world.

6. Lusafrica (France)

7. Sterns (UK)

Sterns began life as an electrical shop in 1950s London. Gradually, to cater to the expatriate African community, they began to stock African music. In 1983 it became Sterns African Record Centre. But selling records was only part of the Sterns mission, it was a mothership of African (and later World) music and today they are known all over the world as a source for some of its greatest recordings … still on a mission.

8. World Music Network (UK)

Over the last fifteen years, World Music Network has become one of the leading forces on the world music scene. Founded in 1994 by Phil Stanton and his Colombian-born wife Sandra Alayón-Stanton, World Music Network produces hugely successful music compilations with the Rough Guides, fund raising albums with Think Global, artist releases on Riverboat Records and provides a platform for lesser known artists on Introducing…

9. Essay Recordings (Germany)

10. Galileo MC (Spain/Germany)

Top-10 Releases:

1. Oumou Sangare: Seya (World Circuit, UK)

Oumou Sangare
“Seya” (mp3)
(World Circuit)
Buy at Virgin Mega fr
More On This Album

2. Staff Benda Bilili: Très Très Fort (Crammed Discs, Belgium)

3. Chiwoniso: Rebel Woman (Cumbancha, USA)

4. Issa Bagayogo: Mali Koura (Six Degrees, USA)

Issa Bagayogo
“Sebero” (mp3)
(Six Degrees Travel Series)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

5. Novalima: Coba Coba (Cumbancha, USA)

6. Lila Downs: Shake Away/Ojo de Culebra (EMI)

7. Dub Colossus: In a Town Called Addis (Real World, UK)

8. Amadou & Mariam: Welcome to Mali (Warner/Because, France)

9. Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara: Tell No Lies (Real World, UK)

10. DuOud: Ping Kong (Marabi, France)

This year’s WOMEX expo takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark from October 28- November 1, 2009.
“The most important international professional market of world music of every kind. This international fair brings together professionals from the worlds of folk, roots, ethnic and traditional music and also includes concerts, conferences and documentary films. It contributes to networking as an effective means of promoting music and culture of all kinds across frontiers.” UNESCO Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity