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Prelude Classical Music Awards [2011] By Kees Koudstaal, owner of Prelude This year is the tenth anniversary of the Prelude Classical Music Awards. These awards were originally intended as Prelude's response to Edisons Klassiek, the awards organised by the NVPI, the Netherlands' main industry body for producers and distributors of audiovisual material. Because the Edison jury selects award-winners solely from works put forward by NVPI members, a classical CD produced by a non-NVPI member can never be considered - which surely tells us all we need to know about the Netherlands foremost musical award... The Prelude Classical Music Awards follow a very different procedure. First, producers and distributors of classical CDs have no say in the inclusion of their works. Second, the jury - whose sole member and chairman are the owner of Prelude - is entirely impartial. This excludes all danger of external influence. But the jury's deliberations are by no means insensitive to the outside world. This year, for example, they ranged at length over the lacklustre state of the CD market. It was even debated whether this should influence the jury's assessment of the year's classical CD releases. In other words, the Prelude Awards were stalked very briefly by the spectre of commercial influence. But after a few robust words from the chairman, the idea was resolutely brushed aside. It is therefore reassuring to know that the provisions of the handbook Instructions to the Jury of the Prelude Classical Music Awards are unchanged. As always, the following criteria apply: • Assessment of all CDs shall be based solely on considerations of quality; • Crossover repertoire shall not be eligible for the awards; • CD sales data shall be disregarded; • Recommendations by CD-producers and distributors shall play absolutely no role in the jury's deliberations; • On pain of exclusion, the jury shall not allow itself to be swayed by performers' non-musical attributes; • Participation by CD producers, CD distributors and trade bodies shall be excluded. Finally, without going into unnecessary background detail - after all, the jury must at all times be able to exchange ideas freely, unhindered by unnecessary publicity - I can inform you that the Prelude Classical Music Awards will no longer be awarded by category. Instead, the jury will confine itself to announcing awards for thirteen outstanding CDs. With regard to the list of award-winning CDs, it should also be stated that their order is entirely random, and that any appearance of ranking is therefore erroneous.
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