The Audience Award One of the main awards has now been decided by you the audience. The winner will be announced at the Poll Winners concert in March. A huge thanks to all those who contributed. It was wonderful to see such a wide-ranging list of nominations (left) and the way so many of the musicians have touched your lives.
Here are the bands who were voted onto the final shortlist. Click on each name to read more about them and click on the 'listen' icon to hear a selected track from each band. A large selection of your comments can be found by clicking on the list to the left.
D Schofield, Market Harborough:
'I'd heard such good things about this outfit, I was worried that they'd disappoint. But for Whirl-y-gig New Year's Eve 2002/3 Kamel Nitrate made music like I've never heard and accompanied it with exquisite, exotic dance. I am voting for original, funked-up global beats, for belly-dancing beauty and for the melodically insane!'
Les Wilkins, Powys:
'ITheir fusion of Asian and Arabic grooves, funky organ, underpinned by Nelson Dilation's DJ-delivered beats works wonders on the dancefloor - and in the living room too.'
