Every year fRoots polls a panel of hundreds of experts, in the UK and internationally, to decide the Album Of The Year in the fields covered in the magazine – world folk and roots music. Since we first began our Critics Poll in 1986, it has become established as the most extensively researched and prestigious annual poll of its kind, recognised as such by being incorporated into the BBC Awards For World Music for the seven years they ran.

Since 1991 we’ve had separate sections for Reissues/Compilations, from 2006 to 2016 we had a Best Packaged Album category, and since 2012 we’ve had an Editor’s Choice from releases on small, micro-independent labels.

Here are all the winners down the years…

2018

Album Of The Year

CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA : Soar
Runners Up
ANNA + ELIZABETH The Invisible Comes to Us
FATOUMATA DIAWARA Fenfo: Something To Say
THE RHEINGANS SISTERS Bright Field

Re-issue/Compilation
DUR-DUR BANDDur-Dur Of Somalia Volume 1 & 2

Editor’s Choice Album
YOU ARE WOLF Keld

2017

Album Of The Year

TRIO DA KALI & KRONOS QUARTET Ladilikan
Runners Up
LANKUM Between The Earth And Sky
ELIZA CARTHY & THE WAYWARD BAND Big Machine
SAZ’ISO At Least Wave Your Handkerchief At Me – The Joys And Sorrows Of Southern Albanian Songs

Re-issue/Compilation
MIKE & LAL WATERSON Bright Phoebus

Editor’s Choice Album
TIM JONES & THE DARK LANTERNS Blossom & Fruit

2016

Album Of The Year

SHIRLEY COLLINS Lodestar
Runners Up
KRISTI STASSINOPOULOU & STATHIS KALYVIOTIS Nyn
JIM MORAY Upcetera
AZIZA BRAHIM Abbar El Hamada

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS Urgent Jumping – East African Classics

Best Packaged Album
VARIOUS ARTISTS Music Of Morocco From The Library Of Congress

Editor’s Choice Album
ALDEN PATTERSON & DASHWOOD Call Me Home

2015

Album Of The Year

STICK IN THE WHEEL From Here
Runners Up
ANNA & ELIZABETH Anna & Elizabeth
BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA Ba Power
SAM LEE & FRIENDS The Fade In Time

Re-issue/Compilation
YOUSSOU N’DOUR & LE SUPER ETOILE DE DAKAR Fatteliku – Live In Athens 1987

Best Packaged Album
LEAD BELLY The Smithsonian Folkways Collection

Editor’s Choice Album
TELLING THE BEES Steer By The Stars

2014

Album Of The Year

MARTIN & ELIZA CARTHY The Moral Of The Elephant
Runners Up
TOUMANI & SIDIKI DIABATE Toumani & Sidiki
AURELIO Landini
JOSIENNE CLARKE & BEN WALKER Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour

Re-issue/Compilation
LES AMBASSADEURS Les Ambassadeurs Du Motel De Bamako

Best Packaged Album
KEPA JUNKERA Galiza

Editor’s Choice Album
STICK IN THE WHEEL Bones EP

2013

Album Of The Year

CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA Clychau Dibon
Runners Up
BASSEKOU KOUYATÉ & NGONI BA Jama Ko
LISA KNAPP Hidden Seam
ANAIS MITCHELL & JEFFERSON HAMER Child Ballads

Re-issue/Compilation
THE YOUNG TRADITION Oberlin 1968

Best Packaged Album
LAL WATERSON Teach Me To Be A Summer’s Morning

Editor’s Choice Album
THREE CANE WHALE Holts And Hovers

2012

Album Of The Year

SAM LEE Ground Of Its Own
Runners Up
JIM MORAY Skulk
LAU Race the Loser
EMILY PORTMAN Hatchling

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS The Voice Of The People: I’m A Romany Rai

Best Packaged Album
BELLOWHEAD Broadside

Editor’s Choice Album
HLADOWSKI & JOYNES The Wild Wild Berry

2011

Album Of The Year

JUNE TABOR & OYSTERBAND Ragged Kingdom
Runners Up
FATOUMATA DIAWARA Fatou
RY COODER Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down
JUJU In Trance

Re-issue/Compilation
HEDY WEST Ballads & Songs From The Appalachians

Best Packaged Album
VARIOUS Opika Pende: Africa At 78 rpm

2010

Album Of The Year

BELLOWHEAD Hedonism
Runners Up
ALI FARKA TOURE & TOUMANI DIABATE Ali & Toumani
AFROCUBISM AfroCubism
ELIZA CARTHY & NORMA WATERSON Gift

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS Africa – 50 Years Of Music

Best Packaged Album
NATALIE MERCHANT Leave Your Sleep

2009

Album Of The Year

STAFF BENDA BILILI Très Très Fort
Runners Up
BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA I Speak Fula
OUMOU SANGARE Seya
MARTIN SIMPSON True Stories

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS Three Score & Ten: A Voice To The People

Best Packaged Album
VARIOUS Three Score & Ten: A Voice To The People

2008

Album Of The Year

JIM MORAY Low Culture
Runners Up
TOUMANI DIABATE The Mandé Variations
ROKIA TRAORE Tchamantché
UMALALI The Garifuna Women’s Project

Re-issue/Compilation
FRANCO & LE TPOK JAZZ Francophonic

Best Packaged Album
FRANCO & LE TPOK JAZZ Francophonic

2007

Album Of The Year

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA Segu Blue
Runners Up
ANDY PALACIO & THE GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE Watina
TINARIWEN Aman Iman
ORCHESTRA BAOBAB Made In Dakar

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS The Very Best Of Ethiopiques

Best Packaged Album
VARIOUS ARTISTS Authenticité – The Syliphone Years

2006

Album Of The Year

ALI FARKA TOURE Savane
Runners Up
BELLOWHEAD Burlesque
TOUMANI DIABATE’S SYMMETRIC ORCHESTRA Boulevard De L’Independance
LILA DOWNS La Cantina: “Entre Copa Y Copa…”

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS Golden Afrique Vol 3

Best Packaged Album
BELLOWHEAD Burlesque

2005

Album Of The Year

AMADOU & MARIAM Dimanche A Bamako
Runners Up
ALI FARKA TOURE & TOUMANI DIABATE In The Heart Of The Moon
SALIF KEITA M’Bemba
THIONE SECK Orientation

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS Golden Afrique Vol 1

2004

Album Of The Year

YOUSSOU N’DOUR Egypt
Runners Up
TINARIWEN Amassakoul
LHASA The Living Road
ANDREW CRONSHAW Ochre

Re-issue/Compilation
ALI FARKA TOURE Red & Green

2003

Album Of The Year

ROKIA TRAORE Bowmboi
Runners Up
JOHN SPIERS & JON BODEN Bellow
OI VA VOI Laughter Through Tears
ABYSSINIA INFINITE Zion Roots

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS The Festival In The Desert

2002

Album Of The Year

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB Specialist In All Styles
Runners Up
SALIF KEITA Moffou
ELIZA CARTHY Anglicana
YOUSSOU N’DOUR Nothing’s In Vain

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS Desert Blues 2

2001

Album Of The Year

BAABA MAAL Missing You/Mi Yeewnii
Runners Up
ORLANDO ‘CACHAITO’ LOPEZ Cachaito
SUSHEELA RAMAN Salt Rain
MANU CHAO: Proxima Estacion Esperanza

Re-issue/Compilation
ORCHESTRA BAOBAB: Pirate’s Choice

2000

Album Of The Year

ROKIA TRAORE Wanita
Runners Up
NORMA WATERSON Bright Shiny Morning
JOHN TAMS Unity
RUBEN GONZALEZ Chanchulo

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Musica Negra In The Americas

1999

Album Of The Year

TAJ MAHAL & TOUMANI DIABATE Kulanjan
Runners Up
KATE RUSBY Sleepless
CHEIKH LÔ Bambay Gueej
SNAKEFARM Songs From My Funeral

Re-issue/Compilation
PETER BELLAMY Wake The Vaulted Echoes

1998

Album Of The Year

ELIZA CARTHY Red Rice
Runners Up
MARTIN CARTHY Signs Of Life
LUCINDA WILLIAMS Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
ERNEST RANGLIN In Search Of The Lost Riddim

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS The Voice Of The People Series

1997

Album Of The Year

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB Buena Vista Social Club
Runners Up
KATE RUSBY Hourglass
WATERSON:CARTHY Common Tongue
JUNE TABOR Aleyn

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS Harry Smith’s Anthology Of American Folk Music

1996

Album Of The Year

NORMA WATERSON Norma Waterson
Runners Up
CHEIKH LÔ Ne La Thiass
DICK GAUGHAN Sail On
OUMOU SANGARE Worotan

Re-issue/Compilation
ALI FARKA TOURE Radio Mali

1995

Album Of The Year

KATE RUSBY & KATHRYN ROBERTS Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts
Runners Up
SALIF KEITA Folon
EMMYLOU HARRIS Wrecking Ball
TOUMANI DIABATE Djelika

Re-issue/Compilation
ALTAN The First Ten Years

1994

Album Of The Year

WATERSON:CARTHY Waterson:Carthy
Runners Up
ALI FARKA TOURE & RY COODER: Talking Timbuktu
BAABA MAAL Firin’ In Fouta
TOUMANI DIABATE, KETAMA Songhai 2

Re-issue/Compilation
VARIOUS ARTISTS Hidden English

1993

Album Of The Year

RY COODER & V.M. BHATT A Meeting By The River
Runners Up
ALTAN Island Angel
BAJOUROU Big String Theory
=ANDREW CRONSHAW The Language Of Snakes
=OYSTERBAND Holy Bandits

Re-issue/Compilation
BRASS MONKEY The Complete Brass Monkey

1992

Album Of The Year

BAABA MAAL Lam Toro
Runners Up
ALTAN Harvest Storm
CARTHY & SWARBRICK Skin & Bone
=JUNE TABOR Angel Tiger
=TARIKA SAMMY Fanafody

Re-issue/Compilation
NIC JONES Penguin Eggs

1991

Album Of The Year

FOUR MEN & A DOG Barking Mad
Runners Up
RICHARD THOMPSON Rumour And Sigh
KATHRYN TICKELL BAND Kathryn Tickell Band
ASTER AWEKE Kabu

Re-issue/Compilation
BOB DYLAN The Bootleg Series 1-3

1990

Album Of The Year

ROBERT JOHNSON The Complete Recordings
Runners Up
JUNE TABOR & THE OYSTER BAND Freedom And Rain
MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK Life And Limb
SCAN TESTER I Never Played To Many Posh Dances

1989

Album Of The Year

BAABA MAAL & MANSOUR SECK Djam Leelii
Runners Up
THE NEVILLE BROTHERS Yellow Moon
CAPERCAILLIE Sidewaulk
DICK GAUGHAN Call It Freedom

Album Of The ‘80s
DICK GAUGHAN Handful Of Earth

1988

Album Of The Year

RICHARD THOMPSON Amnesia
Runners Up
TOUMANI DIABATE, KETAMA & DANNY THOMPSON Songhai
MICHELLE SHOCKED Short Sharp Shocked
JUNE TABOR Aqaba

1987

Album Of The Year

SALIF KEITA Soro
Runners Up
DE DANNAN Ballroom
THE DEIGHTON FAMILY Acoustic Music To Suit Most Occasions
10,000 MANIACS In My Tribe

1986

Album Of The Year

PAUL SIMON Graceland
Runners Up
THE OYSTER BAND Step Outside
THE HOME SERVICE Alright Jack
JALI MUSA JAWARA Jali Musa Jawara