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
