On the evening of Saturday, February 18, the Latvian Music Recordings of the Year Award “Golden Microphone” ceremony took place. The main prize in the “Best Album of the Year” category was won by the musician Shipsea, or Jānis Šipkēvics, for his solo performance “Apgaismo mani”.
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Shipsea and “Apgaismo mani” also received the “Golden Microphone” as the best pop music album of the year.
Don’s “Your touch” was recognized as the best song of the year and also a radio hit, while the popular vote “Elvi’s song of the year” was won by the young singer Greta with “Pāries”.
Electronic music artist Vultura also received two “Golden Microphones”, which won in the categories “Best Electronic or Dance Music Album” and “Best Debut”.
In total, awards were presented in 20 different genre categories, but the “Golden Microphone” for lifetime contribution to the development of the Latvian sound recording industry was awarded to Latvian radio sound engineer Augustīns Delle.
This year’s “Golden Microphone” ceremony took place on February 18 in the hall of the Ķīpsala exhibition center. This year, the scenography of the show was created by the internationally known Latvian designer Artūrs Analts. Don, “Instrumenti”, “Citi zēni”, “Astro’n’out”, “Dagamba”, “Iron Wolf” Roland Če, Finķis, Arturs Skutelis, Aija Andrejeva, Olga Rajecka and other current musicians performed at the ceremony concert.
This year, the winner of each category received two prizes – “Golden Microphone” statuettes created by metal artist Armandas Jēkabsons and also NFT or digital crypto art created by graffiti artist Kiwie.
“Golden Microphone 2023” winners:
The best album of the year
Ships – “enlighten me”
Best Instrumental or Cross-genre Music Album
Daumants Kalniņš, Knuts Skujenieks – “Insurance”
Andrei Osokins – “Stardiving”;
Jānis Bērziņš, Reinis Jaunais, Gints Smukais – “BĀRZIĆS JAUANAIS SMUKAIS”;
Raimonda Vazdika – “Letters in fine handwriting”;
Toms Auniņš – “Revolution”.
Best Country or Pop Album
“Vintage” – “A drop of memories. Latvian stage notes”
“Dakota” – “Edvīn Zariņš’s last concert. Live stage in Ogre”
“Gapolijeri” – “Where are you?”
Mārtiņš Kanter – “Painting”
“Tequila Band” – “Burtnīca”
The best music album for kids
Children’s stage studio “Kukuragi” and Lauris Reiniks, Markus Riva, Ieva Sutugova, Patrisha, Kaspars Markševits, Mārtiņš Strods and Agnese Širante – “Kukuragi”
Annija Putniņa, Uldis Siliņš, Laura Polence, Raimonds Petrauskis “Uku and Lele’s songs”
Group “Rupuči” – “Vuškeņa iz pļovys”
NBS Headquarters Orchestra Variety Ensemble – “Tev and Man”
Vocal studio Spare – “Song Reel”
Best Electronic or Dance Music Album
Vultura (Annie Tina Kukuk)- “Not Your Typical Fairytale”
“Bel Tempo” – “Pessimism”
Edavārdi, Čižiks, Dubra – “KRATA”
Elizabete Balčus – “Hotel Universe”
TV Moscow – “Higher education”
The best hip-hop music album
roland če – “all-terrain vehicle”
Arturs Skutelis – “Yes”
Finķis, PRAGUE – “Such laziness”
Wiesulis, sangvn – “Fianchetto”
Zelgis – “Parallels”
Best Classical or Choral Album
“Kremerata Baltica”, “Kremerata Lettonica”, Gidon Kremer – “PPP”
“Ars Antiqua Riga”, Uģis Prauliņš, Jānis Pelše, Vairis Nartišs, Kaspars Majors, Pēteris Vaickovskis – “Uģis Prauliņš. L’homme armé”
Latvian Radio Choir, Kaspars Putniņš – “Latvian Radio Choir: Mārtiņš Viļums”
Latvian Radio Choir, Sigvards Kļava – “Juris Ābols: Opera Xeniae”
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and conductor Guntis Kuzma – “Blooming jasmine”
Best Folk or World Music Album
“Tautumeitas” – “Runway”
“Auuli” – “Strike, Jānīti!”
“Shakima Trio” – “High”
Simon – “Pa apli”
“Skandinieki” – “Soul”
Best Indie or Alternative Music Album
Katie Barbale – “Stone God”
Group “Sigma” – “Ostinations”
Jānis Rungis – “Degrees”
“Perestroika” – “memorial server”
“The Bad Tones” – ” Back Together Forever”
The best song
Don – “Your Touch”
Boo and Edavārdi – “Where is my tribe?”
Kriss Noa – “Sunboy”
“Other boys” – “Excess stucco”
“The Sound Poets” – “At one fire”
Best Jazz or Funk Album
“Lupa” – “Koki // Sketches of Trees”
Atis Andersons Organ Trio “Organic City”
Latvijas Radio bigbends, Pierre Bertrand, Christophe Lampideccia, Minino Garay, Paloma Pradal – “Les Nuits de Montparnasse”
Raimonds Pauls / Latvian Radio Big Band “Jazz Suites: Reimagined”
Vestards Šimkus / “Endless Roar” – ” Acclivity”
Best Video:
Finķis, PRAGUE, Múr – “Self love”
“Carnival Youth” – “Sunshine”
Don – “Your Touch”
Oak – “You only think about yourself”
roland’s if – “Ode to Tusam”
Best Concert Video
“Brainstorm” – “Brainstorm. A year without a calendar concert in Mežapark”
group “aPēdājs” – “aPēdājs – live concert (live performance)”
“Monday in Space” – “misMaluna”
“Sanctimony” – “20th anniversary concert of the album “When the sun was God””
“Sudden Lights” – “The closing concert of the Sudden Lights concert tour “Billion Summers””
Best album design
“Tequila band” / Design by Ilze Volāne – “Burtnīca”
Children’s studio “Kukaiņi”/ Design author Rudolfs Feldmanis – “I want to know everything”
“Sudden Lights”/ Design by artist Roberts Mikus Zitmanis, layout designer Viktorija Kaparkalėja – “Miljards vasaru”
“Group Sigma” / Design by Alexey Murashko – “Ostinations”
Annija Putniņa, Uldis Siliņš, Laura Polence, Raimonds Petrauskis/ Designer Ieva Kraule-Kūna – “Songs of Uku and Lele”
Best Rock or Metal Album:
“Brothers of Sorrow” – “Duende”
“Aston Kais” – “Modus Operandi”
“Iron Wolf” – “Young”
“Four Minute Man” -“The Beast Is Gone”
“So Lucid Electric Feel” – “Social MindScream”
Best Debut Album:
Vultura – “Not Your Typical Fairytale”
Katie Barbale – “Stone God”
Zelgis – “Parallels”
“Perestroika” – “memorial server”
“Bel Tempo” – “Pessimism”
Most streamed track with “Electrum”:
“Bermuda triangle” and “Avvedceļš” – “Brother, don’t bargain with life”
“Other Boys” – “Excess Stucco”
“Bermuda triangle” and Olga Rajecka – “Averagely pretty”
“Singapore Satin” and “A-Europa” – “Uz Seen”
“Bermuda triangle” and “Auuli” – “Bride”
People’s vote “Elvi song of the year”
Greta – “Pāries”
Shipsea and Aminata – “Your Waves”
Boo and Edavārdi – “Where is my tribe?”
“Other boys” – “Excess stucco”
Don – “Your Touch”
“Sudden Lights” – “Laternas”
“Tautumeitas” and Renārs Kaupers – “Muoseņa”
“The Sound Poets” – “At one fire”
ZeBrene and “Sudden Lights” – “The World is Shaking”
Zelgis – “Yet”
Radio hits
Dons – “Your Touch”
“Other Boys” – “Excess Stucco”
Shipsea – “By the River”
Don, Roland Che – “Wonderful Day”
“Bermuda triangle” and “Avvedceļš” – “Brother, don’t bargain with life”
Best Pop Album
Ships – “enlighten me”
Kriss Noa – “Red Light”
MARTA – “Natural Phenomenon”‘
“Sudden Lights” – “A Billion Summers”
“The Sound Poets” – “At one fire”
