The prestigious event takes place on December 11th and 12th (with the awards on the evening of the 11th) and features a veritable who’s-who of music industry personalities, experts and veterans. Keynote speaker will be multi-Grammy® award winning Phil Ramone, alongside recognised names such as Tom Holman, Robin Hurley, Rory Kaplan, Nathanial Kunkel, Bob Ludwig, Gary Lux, Bob Margouleff, Ronald Prent, Elliot Scheiner and Mark Waldrep.

This year’s awards show promises to be just as intriguing and entertaining as last year’s, with comedy team/producers Ed Cherney and Al Schmitt returning as hosts. This year’s Surround Pionner award goes to the legendary Frank Zappa, whose son and fellow surround pioneer Dweezil Zappa will be accepting on his behalf.

As was the case last year, the nominees have been selected by a blue-ribbon panel of judges from the Surround Sound industry and are as follows:

Best Additional Features

• ‘Dark Side of the Moon: Classic Album’ (DVD-Video) – Pink Floyd [Eagle Rock Entertainment]
• ‘Halloween’ – Frank Zappa [DTS Entertainment]
• ‘Start Here: DVD-Audio Sampler’ – Various [AIX Records]
• ‘Uncivilized Love’ – Gus Black [5.1 Entertainment/Immergent Records]
• ‘Wake’ – Sheila Nicholls [DTS Entertainment]

Best Concert Video

• ‘Evening with the Dixie Chicks, An’ – Dixie Chicks [Sony/Columbia]
• ‘Broozed, Boozed, and Broken Boned’ – Black Label Society [Eagle Rock Entertainment]
• ‘Deacon John’s Jump Blues: Concert of Music from the Film’ – Deacon John Moore [AIX Records w/Vetter Communications]
• ‘Live in Hawaii’ – Janet Jackson [Eagle Rock Entertainment]
• ‘Led Zeppelin’ – Led Zeppelin [Warner Bros. (Atlantic)]

Best Made-For-Surround Title

• ‘Everything Must Go’ – Steely Dan [Warner Bros.]
• ‘Halloween’ – Frank Zappa [DTS Entertainment]
• ‘Producers Cut’ – Emmylou Harris [Warner Bros.]
• ‘Sacred Love’ – Sting [Universal/A&M Records]
• ‘Surrounded’ – Tipper [5.1 Entertainment/Myutopia Records]

Best Menu Design

• ‘Etterna’ – Emma Shapplin [DTS Entertainment]
• ‘Globe Sessions, The’ – Sheryl Crow [Universal/A&M Records]
• ‘Kamakiriad’ – Donald Fagan [Warner Bros. (Reprise)]
• ‘Surrounded’ – Tipper [5.1 Entertainment/Myutopia Records]
• ‘Trilogy-Live in Berlin’ – The Cure [Eagle Rock Entertainment]

Best Mix: Non-Orchestral

• ‘Alison Krauss and Union Station Live’ – Alison Kraus [Rounder]
• ‘Blonde on Blonde’ – Bob Dylan [Sony/Columbia]
• ‘Game, The’ – Queen [DTS Entertainment]
• ‘Heavier Things’ – John Mayer [Sony/Columbia]
• ‘Rendezvous in New York’ – Chick Corea [Stretch]

Best Mix: Orchestral

• ‘Alan Houhaness: Mysterious Mountains’ – Gerard Schwarz and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra [Telarc]
• ‘Deacon John’s Jump Blues: Music from the Film’ – Deacon John Moore [AIX Records w/Vetter Communications]
• ‘Firebird Suite/Bolero’ – Stravinsky/Ravel [AIX Records]
• ‘Shostakovich Symphony No.7’ – Vealery Gergiev [Universal/Decca]
• ‘With The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’ – Michael Feinstein [Concord Records]

Best Multichannel Reissue

• ‘Ace of Spades’ – Motorhead [5.1 Entertainment/Silverline Records]
• ‘Chicago’ (AKA Chicago II) – Chicago [Warner Bros. (Rhino)]
• ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ – Pink Floyd [Capitol Records]
• ‘Fragile’ – Yes [Warner Bros. (Rhino/Elektra)]
• ‘Ravel: Bolero and Other Assorted Orchestral Works’ – Minnesota Orchestra [Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab]

Best Standard Resolution Title

• ‘Brazilian Romance’ – Various Artists [DTS Entertainment]
• ‘Evening with the Dixie Chicks, An’ – Dixie Chicks [Sony/Columbia]
• ‘Guitar Noir’ – Laurence Juber [AIX Records]
• ‘SNL: 25 Years of Music’ – Various [Broadway Video]
• ‘Sound Stage Performances’ – The Doors [Eagle Rock Entertainment]

Most Adventurous Mix

• ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ – Pink Floyd [Capitol Records]
• ‘KAJE’ – KAJE [3Bone Audio]
• ‘Sea Change’ – Beck [Universal/Interscope]
• ‘Surrounded’ – Tipper [5.1 Entertainment/Myutopia Records]
• ‘The Wraith: Shangri-La’ – Insane Clown Posse [DTS Entertainment]

Horizon Award

• ‘Another Mind’ – Hiromi [Telarc]
• ‘Heavier Things’ – John Mayer [Sony/Columbia]
• ‘KAJE’ – KAJE [3 Bone Audio]
• ‘Off Space’ – Christian Halten [Skylife]
• ‘So Glad You Made It’ – Kane [BMG-Netherlands]
• ‘Un Segundo Una Vida’ – Romero [333 Entertainment]
• ‘Wake’ – Sheila Nichols [DTS Entertainment]
• ‘Window, The’ – David Elias [David Elias]

Best High-Resolution Stereo-Only Program

• ‘Just Friends’ – LA4 [Hi-Res Music]
• ‘Love Supreme, A’ – John Coltrane [Universal/Impulse/Verve]
• ‘Seven Come Eleven’ – Herb Ellis/Joe Pass [Hi-Res Music]
• ‘Soular Energy’ – The Ray Brown Trio [Hi-Res Music]
• ‘With Love’ – Rosemary Clooney [Groove Note]

High Fidelity Review is also co-sponsoring a ‘Readers’ Choice’ award, which gives you the chance to vote for your favourite high-resolution title of the past year from a short-list of six, chosen by our contributors.

High Fidelity Review People’s Choice Award

• ‘Avalon’ – Roxy Music
• ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ – Pink Floyd
• ‘Document No.5’ – R.E.M.
• ‘Everything Must Go’ – Steely Dan
• ‘Sea Change’ – Beck
• ‘Up’ – Peter Gabriel

Click here to register your vote.