Award categories included: Africa, Asia/Pacific, Americas, Europe, Mid East and North Africa, Newcomer, Culture Crossing, Club Global, Album of the Year, and Audience Award. Initial lists of nominees in each category were selected annually by a panel of several thousand industry experts. Shortlisted nominees were voted on by a twelve-member jury, which selected the winners in every category except for the Audience Award category. These jury members were appointed and presided over by the BBC.
The annual awards ceremony was held at various venues including the Ocean in Hackney, Sage in Gateshead, the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, the Brixton Academy and finally at the BBC Proms. Winners were given an award called a "Planet," designed by Croatian sculptor Anita Sulimanovic in 2003.
In March 2009, the BBC made a decision to axe the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music.
The Awards concert took place on 24 March 2003. The award recipients were as follows:
Africa
Winner: Orchestra Baobab
Runners-up: Orchestra Baobab, Bembeya Jazz, Kasse Mady Diabate, Tony Allen
Asia/Pacific
Winner: Mahwash & Ensemble Kaboul
Runners-up: Mahwash & Ensemble Kaboul, Te Vaka, Trilok Gurtu, Alka Yagnik
Americas
Winner: Los de Abajo
Runners-up: Los de Abajo, Susana Baca, Yusa, Lila Downs
Europe
Winner: Mariza
Runners-up: Mariza, Ojos de Brujo, Kimmo Pohjonen, Sergey Starostin
Middle East and North Africa
Winner: Samira Said.
Runners-up: Samira Said, Kayhan Kalhor, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Yair Dalal
Newcomer
Winner: Gotan Project
Runners-up: Gotan Project, DuOuD, Mariza, Yusa
Source: 2003 winners, 2003 nominees
Africa
Winner: Daara J
Runners-up: Cesária Évora, Oumou Sangaré, Rokia Traoré
Asia/Pacific
Winner: Sevara Nazarkhan
Runners-up: Huun-Huur-Tu, Trilok Gurtu, Munojot Yo‘lchiyeva
Americas
Winner: Ibrahim Ferrer
Runners-up: Omar Sosa, Caetano Veloso, Tribalistas
Europe
Winner: Ojos de Brujo
Runners-up: Kroke, Radio Tarifa, Tamara Obrovac
Middle East and North Africa
Winner: Kadim Al Sahir
Runners-up: Mercan Dede, Khaled, Souad Massi
Newcomer
Winner: Warsaw Village Band
Runners-up: Ojos de Brujo, Cibelle, Sevara Nazarkhan
Boundary Crossing
Winner: Think Of One
Runners-up: Bob Brozman, Manu Chao, DuOud
Club Global
Winner: DJ Dolores and Orchestra Santa Massa
Runners-up: Mercan Dede, Panjabi MC, Zuco 103
Critics Award
Winner: Rokia Traoré
Runners-up: Abyssinia Infinite, John Spiers and Jon Boden, Oi Va Voi
Audience Award
Winner: Kadim Al Sahir
Runners-up: Cesária Évora, Sevara Nazarkhan, Tamara Obrovac
Source: 2004 winners and nominees
The hosts for the BBC Awards for World Music 2005 Poll Winners' Concert were Eliza Carthy and Benjamin Zephaniah. The award recipients were as follows:
Africa
Winner: Tinariwen
Runners-up: Thandiswa Mazwai, Rokia Traore, Youssou N'Dour
Asia/Pacific
Winner: Kaushiki Chakrabarty
Runners-up: Faiz Ali Faiz, Sainkho Namtchylak, Sevara Nazarkhan
Americas
Winner: Lhasa
Runners-up: Bebel Gilberto, Bajofondo Tango Club, Lila Downs
Europe
Winner: Amparanoia
Runners-up: Enzo Avitabile & Bottari, Ivo Papasov, Ojos de Brujo
Middle East and North Africa
Winner: Khaled
Runners-up: The Chehade Brothers, Mercan Dede, Souad Massi
Newcomer
Winner: Chango Spasiuk
Runners-up: Ba Cissoko, Amparanoia, Yasmin Levy
Boundary Crossing
Winner: Bebo Valdés and Diego El Cigala
Runners-up: Björk, Clotaire K, Lhasa
Club Global
Winner: Clotaire K
Runners-up: Gilles Peterson, Gotan Project, Mercan Dede
Critics Award
Winner: Youssou N'Dour
Runners-up: Lhasa, Tinariwen, Andrew Cronshaw
Audience Award
Winner: Ivo Papasov
Runners-up: The Chehade Brothers, Enzo Avitabile & Bottari, Mercan Dede
Source: 2005 winners and nominees
Africa
Winner: Amadou & Mariam
Runners-up: Emmanuel Jal, Ali Farka Toure, Lura
The Americas
Winner: Ry Cooder
Runners-up: Omar Sosa, Carlos Vives, Seu Jorge
Middle East and North Africa
Winner: Souad Massi
Runners-up: Ilham al-Madfai, Rachid Taha, Dhafer Youssef
Asia/Pacific
Winner: Sain Zahoor
Runners-up: Faiz Ali Faiz, Susheela Raman, Yat-Kha
Europe
Winner: Fanfare Ciocarlia
Runners-up: Armenian Navy Band, Enzo Avitabile and Bottari, Mariza
Club Global
Winner: DJ Shantel
Runners-up: M.I.A, Cheb i Sabbah, Mercan Dede
Boundary Crossing
Winners: Nitin Sawhney
Runners-up: Asha Bhosle and Kronos Quartet, Kimmo Pohjonen, Yasmin Levy
Newcomer
Winner: Konono N°1
Runners-up: Dobet Gnahore, Daby Toure, Lura
Album of the Year
Winner: Amadou and Mariam -
Dimanche à Bamako
Runners-up: Thione Seck -
Orientation, Salif Keita -
M'Bemba, Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate -
In the Heart of the Moon
Audience Award
Winner: Armenian Navy Band -
How Much is Your’s
Source: 2006 winners and nominees
Africa
Winner: Mahmoud Ahmed
Runners-up: Ali Farka Toure, Bongo Maffin, Toumani Diabate
The Americas
Winner: Gogol Bordello
Runners-up: Ben Harper, Fonseca, Lila Downs
Middle East and North Africa
Winner: Ghada Shbeir
Runners-up: Les Boukakes, Natacha Atlas, Yasmin Levy
Asia/Pacific
Winner: Debashish Bhattacharya
Runners-up: Anoushka Shankar, Dadawa, Fat Freddy's Drop
Europe
Winner: Camille
Runners-up: Lo'Jo, Mariza, Ojos de Brujo
Club Global
Winner: Gotan Project
Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Cheb i Sabbah, Mercan Dede
Culture Crossing
Winner: Maurice El Medioni & Roberto Rodriguez
Runners-up: Aida Nadeem, Ska Cubano, Think of One
Newcomer
Winner: K'naan
Runners-up: Etran Finatawa, Nuru Kane, Sara Tavares
Album of the Year
Winner: Ali Farka Touré -
Savane
Runners-up: Bellowhead -
Burlesque, Lila Downs -
La Cantina Narada, Toumani Diabaté and the Symmetric Orchestra -
Boulevard de l'Independance
Audience Award
Winner: Ghada Shbeir
Source: 2007 winners, 2007 nominees
Africa
Winner: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
Runners-up: Simphiwe Dana, Tinariwen, Toumani Diabaté and the Symmetric Orchestra
The Americas
Winner: Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective
Runners-up: Bajofondo Tango Club, Hazmat Modine, Maria Rita
Middle East and North Africa
Winner: Rachid Taha
Runners-up: Malouma, Nass El Ghiwane, The Idan Raichel Project
Asia/Pacific
Winner: Sa Dingding
Runners-up: Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale, Faiz Ali Faiz, Huun Huur Tu
Europe
Winner: Son de la Frontera
Runners-up: Manu Chao, Ojos de Brujo, Thierry 'Titi' Robin
Club Global
Winner: Transglobal Underground
Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Bajofondo Tango Club, Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Culture Crossing
Winner: Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara
Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Bole2Harlem, The Idan Raichel Project
Newcomer
Winner: Mayra Andrade
Runners-up: Balkan Beat Box, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Vieux Farka Touré
Album of the Year
Winner: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba -
Segu Blue
Runners-up: Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective -
Wátina, Orchestra Baobab -
Made In Dakar, Tinariwen -
Aman Iman
Source: 2008 nominees, 2008 winners
