Quarterly Critic’s Choice
The best and most interesting new releases of the previous three months are awarded a place on the Quarterly Critic’s Choice. Evaluation criteria are artistic quality, repertoire value, presentation, and sound quality. From 2014 onward, the Long Lists are stored directly with each Quarterly Critic’s Choice.
NEW: Long List 4/2026, published on 5th October 2026
German language Singer/Songwriters
Johan Meijer: Ohneland Blues
[Blues without a country]. Nederossi NOP250318 (direct distribution)
Johan Meijer, born in the Netherlands in 1951, grew up in Germany. Fatherland? Motherland? Homeland? »Vielland« (»Manyland«)? Meijer sees himself as a European, discovering and singing songs from other countries. He was awarded the German Record Critics’ Prize in 2011 for »Europeana«. Meijer knows no cultural or linguistic boundaries and says: »I’ve never been able to get used to borders.« His latest CD, »Ohneland Blues« (»Blues without a country«), takes listeners from Elten to Frankfurt and Rome to Babel. It is a plea for openness and tolerance, which are more important than ever in these times. For the jury: Hans Reul