In the association Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics’ Award), music critics and journalists from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have come together to award outstanding music and spoken word productions.

Current Winners

  • World Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    World Music

    Piers Faccini & Ballaké Sissoko: Our Calling

    CD/LP/Digital, Nø Førmat Nøf 65 (Indigo)

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  • Crossover Productions
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Crossover Productions

    Masako Ohta & Matthias Lindermayr: Nozomi

    LP/CD, Squama Recordings SQM028 (Alive)

    Mehr
  • Contemporary Classical Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Contemporary Classical Music

    Klaus Ospald: Escribí

    Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Teodoro Anzellotti, Edicson Ruiz, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern. bastille musique bm033 (rudi mentaire distribution)

    Mehr
  • Opera
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Opera

    Amilcare Ponchielli: I Lituani

    Jūratė Švedaitė-Waller, Kristian Benedikt, Modestas Sedlevičius, Tadas Girininkas, Arūnas Malikėnas, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas State Choir, Modestas Pitrènas. 3 CDs, Accentus Music ACC 80642 (Naxos)

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  • Electronic and Experimental
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Electronic and Experimental

    Das Ende der Liebe x su dance110: Persist

    Digital, Anunaki Tabla AT-019 (Broken Silence)

    Mehr
  • R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop

    Damon Locks: List of Demands

    LP/Digital, International Anthem Recording Company 0634457192218 (direct distribution)

    Mehr
  • Choral Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Choral Music

    Requiem for an Emperor

    Pierre de Manchicourt: Missa da Requiem, works by Cornelius Canis, Thomas Crecquillon, Nicolas Gombert, Luis de Narváes, Nicolas Payen and others. Utopia Ensemble, Jan van Outryve. Ramée RAM2401 (Naxos)

    Mehr
  • Keyboard Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Keyboard Music

    Flemish Organ Heritage

    Organ works by André De Vaere, Edgar Tinel, Joseph Callaerts, Hermann Roelstraete, Flor Peeters, Camil Van Hulse. Ignace Michiels. Passacaille PAS 1119 (Note 1)

    Mehr
  • Recordings for Children and Youth
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Recordings for Children and Youth

    Bibi Dumon Tak: Regenwurm und Anakonda

    Was Tiere über sich erzählen [My presentation today is about the anaconda]. David Nathan, Cathlen Gawlich, Julian Greis, Vanida Karun, Jodie Ahlborn, Matti Krause. 2 CDs, Silberfisch ISBN 978-3-7456-0538-9 (Hörbuch Hamburg)

    Mehr
  • Historical Recordings
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Historical Recordings

    Albert Sammons plays Edward Elgar

    Edward Elgar: Violin Concerto op. 61 (recordings from 1916 & 1929), Violin Sonata op. 82. Albert Sammons, William Murdoch, New Queen’s Hall Orchestra, Henry Wood. Biddulph Recordings 85054-2 (Naxos)

    Mehr
  • Orchestral Music & Concertos
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Orchestral Music & Concertos

    Recorder Concertos from Sanssouci

    Works by Johann Joachim Quantz, Franz Benda, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Carl Heinrich Graun. Isaac Makhdoomi, Ensemble Piccante. Prospero PROSP0112 (Note 1)

    Mehr
  • Folk and Singer/Songwriters
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Folk and Singer/Songwriters

    Broom Bezzums: Standing Strong

    CD/Digital, Feel Your Way Music FYW001 (direct distribution)

    Mehr
  • Early Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Early Music

    Georg Österreich’s resurrected Treasures ...

    North-German Cantatas around 1700 by Johann Theile, Heinrich Bokemeyer, Johann Philipp Förtsch, Michael & Georg Österreich, Johann Friedrich Meister, Giulio Giuliani. Musica Gloria, Nele Vertommen, Beniamino Paganini. Et’Cetera Records KTC 1819 (harmonia mundi/Bertus)

    Mehr
  • Traditional Ethnic Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Traditional Ethnic Music

    Divinerinnen: divinerisch!

    [divine!] Gramola 99345 (Naxos)

    Mehr
  • Keyboard Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Keyboard Music

    Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2

    Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas No. 1 op. 28 & No. 2 op. 36, The Isle of the Dead op. 29 (arr. by G. Kirkor/B. Giltburg). Boris Giltburg. Naxos 8.574601

    Mehr
  • Music Film
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Music Film

    Element of Crime: Wenn es dunkel und kalt wird in Berlin

    [When it gets dark and cold in Berlin.] A Film by Charly Hübner. Element Of Crime, Sven Regener, Jakob Ilja, Richard Pappik, Maike Rosa Vogel, Florian Horwath, Isolation Berlin, Von Wegen Lisbeth, Steiner & Madlaina, Ansa Sauermann. Blu-ray, DCM 4061229512671 (Leonine)

    Mehr
  • Spoken Word
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Spoken Word

    Gottfried Keller: Züricher Novellen

    [Zurich Novellas]. Frank Arnold, Ulrich Noethen, Stefan Kaminski, Torben Kessler, Martin Vischer, Michael Quast. 2 mp3-CDs with 3 text books, Sinus Literatur ISBN 978-3-905721-66-9 (Sinus Verlag)

    Mehr
  • Orchestral Music & Concertos
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Orchestral Music & Concertos

    Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphonies Nos. 1-3

    & The Isle of the Dead, Capriccio Bohémien. WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cristian Măcelaru. 3 CDs, Linn CKD 778 (Naxos)

    Mehr
  • Film Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Film Music

    Dascha Dauenhauer: No Beast. So Fierce

    Digital, DD Records (direct distribution)

    Mehr
  • Lieder and Vocal Recital
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Lieder and Vocal Recital

    Light and Shadow

    Franz Schubert: Lieder. Samuel Hasselhorn, Ammiel Bushakevitz. harmonia mundi HMM 902747

    Mehr
  • Rock
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Rock

    Joe Ely: Love and Freedom

    Digital/CD/LP, Rack’ em Records RERCD0015 (Membran)

    Mehr
  • Club and Dance
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Club and Dance

    Gaiko: Gaiko

    Nous’klaer Audio OEMOEMENOE13 (direct distribution)

    Mehr
  • Chamber Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Chamber Music

    Discovering Roslavets

    Vol. 1: Silver Night – Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1 op. 8, Mélanie Bonis: Soir, Nikolaj Roslavets: Piano Trio No. 3, Arnold Schönberg: Transfigured Night op. 4. Brackman Trio. Challenge Classics CC720009# (Bertus)

    Mehr
  • Alternative
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Alternative

    FKA Twigs: Eusexua

    CD/LP, Parlophone Label Group 0075678603136 (Warner)

    Mehr
  • German language Singer/Songwriters
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    German language Singer/Songwriters

    Konstantin Wecker: Lieder meines Lebens – Duo (Live)

    [Songs of My Life]. 2 CDs, Sturm & Klang S & K 102 (Alive)

    Mehr
  • Blues and Blues-related
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Blues and Blues-related

    Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado: House Of Sticks

    CD/LP, Provogue PRD77372 (tonpool Medien)

    Mehr
  • Opera
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Opera

    José de Nebra: Venus y Adonis

    Paola Valentina Molinari, Natalie Pérez, Jone Martínez, Ana Vieira Leite, Judit Subirana, Margherita Maria Sala, Los Elementos, Alberto Miguélez Rouco. 2 CDs, Aparté AP373 (harmonia mundi/Bertus)

    Mehr
  • Hard and Heavy
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Hard and Heavy

    Mantar: Post Apocalyptic Depression

    CD/LP/Digital, Metal Blade Records 0039841613605 (Sony)

    Mehr
  • Jazz
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Jazz
  • Chamber Music
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Chamber Music

    Timothy Ridout – Solo Viola

    Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastian Bach, Benjamin Britten, Caroline Shaw: Works for Solo Viola. Timothy Ridout. harmonia mundi HMM 902750

    Mehr
  • Jazz
    Quarterly Critic’s Choice
    02/2025
    Jazz

    Joachim Kühn: Échappée

    (Piano Solo). 2 CDs, Intakt Records Intakt CD 431 (harmonia mundi/Bertus)

    Mehr

We strive for independent judgments, untouched by the interests of producers and the music industry. With currently 32 specialist juries we cover the entire, diverse spectrum of genres, from symphonic music to opera to harpsichord music and spoken word, from jazz to folklore and heavy metal to rock and hip-hop. We publish Quarterly Critic’s Choices honoring the best new releases and also present Annual Awards and Honorary Awards, as well as the »Nachtigall« (Nightingale).

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News

05.07.2025

The new long list 3/2025 is here!

The German Record Critics’ Award presents the current long list 3/2025.

The »Ausgezeichnet! 2025« Brochure is here!
27.06.2025

The »Ausgezeichnet! 2025« Brochure is here!

On around one hundred pages, our new PdSK brochure reports on good music from all genres: presented are the titles awarded a place on the Critics’ Choice best list from 2024 and the Annual and Honorary Award winners of 2024/25.

Schedule

  • 19.07.2025
    16:30
    Heidenheim, Opera Festival

    Quartet of Critics (Verdi: Attila)

  • 15.08.2025
    Publication

    Quarterly Critic’s Choice 3/2025

  • 31.08.2025
    17:00—18:30
    Berlin, Philharmony, Chamber Music Hall

    Quartet of Critics (Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances)

Open