The nominees for the YUNA Awards, a new national contest to honor outstanding achievements in music, were announced on Dec.12.
The first YUNA (Yearly Ukrainian National Award) will be held on Feb. 8 will honor the best music Ukraine has produced in its 20 years of national independence.
Starting with 2013, the best songs, singers and bands of the previous year will be chosen.
The idea for the award belongs to Mohammad Zahoor, owner of the ISTIL Group and Kyiv Post publisher, and Pavlo Shylko, best known as DJ Pasha, who is also the general producer of the award.
“Ukraine has moved forward on its musical way during its 20 years of independence,” says Zahoor. “So we decided it needs its own musical award.”
The nominees for each of eight categories were picked by a Ukrainian jury consisting of experts who don’t create music, but have used it professionally for at least five years.
Anzhelika Rudnytska, vice president of the Terytoriya A art studio and one of the jury members, says there is an obvious need for such an independent and competent music award.
“There is not any in Ukraine now,” Rudnytska says. “All the awards in musical sphere that appear from time to time remind the parade of clothes or celebrities news.”
Still, Rudnytska found it difficult to apply objective criteria in choosing the nominees.
“Firstly, there are no concrete evaluation criteria as there are in sports. Secondly, as lots of other people, I love or do not love some music, which means I can’t be 100 percent objective. Thirdly, Ukrainian stars light up as fast as they go out, and only rare music stays in the light. That light is exactly what I’m looking for.”
The ninth category is the only one in which a winner has been chosen so far. The prize for “special advancement over the last 20 years” is going to 64-year-old singer Sofia Rotaru.
Nominees in the other eight categories are:
Best male artist
Andrii Danylko
Viktor Pavlyk
Vitalii Kozlovskyi
Ivan Dorn
Oleksandr Ponomariov
Best female artist
Ani Lorak
Iryna Bilyk
Natalia Mogilevska
Sofia Rotaru
Taisiia Povalii
Best group
Braty Gadiukiny
Bumboks
VIA Gra
Vopli Vidopliasova
Okean Elzy
Tanok Na Maidani Kongo
Best album (artist’s award)
Braty Gadiukiny – “Bulo ne liubyty”
Bumboks– “Family biznes”
Vopli Vidopliasova – “Muzika”
Iryna Bilyk – “Liubov. Yad”
Okean Elzy – “Supersymetriia”
Okean Elzy – “Model”
Best song (artist’s award)
Vopli Vidopliasova – “Vesna”
Braty Gadiukiny – “Faine misto Ternopil”
Bumboks – “Vahteram”
Iryna Bilyk – “Sneg”
Okean Elzy – “Bez boiu”
Plach Ieremii – “Vona”
Ruslana – “Dyki tantsi”
Best composer
Iryna Bilyk
Kostiantyn Meladze
Oleg Skrypka
Ruslan Kvinta
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk
Best lyric author
Andrii Kuzmenko
Andrii Khlyvniuk
Diana Golde
Iryna Bilyk
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk
Yurii Rybchynskyi
Best video (director’s award)
Alan Badoiev (Tina Karol video “Nochenka”)
Alan Badoiev (VIA Gra video “Potselui”)
Alan Badoiev (Iryna Bilyk video “Sneg”)
Maksym Papernyk (Natalia Migilevska “Misiats”)
Maksym Papernyk (Iryna Bilyk video “A ya plyvu”)
Oleksandr Solokha (Vopli Vidopliasova video “Vesna”)
Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Palats Ukraina, 103 Velyka Vasylkivska St., 247-2303. Tickets: Hr 200-1750
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