Awards and commendations received for our recordings

Linn Records albums and artists have won many awards over the years. 

The albums listed below are a great place to start if you are new to Linn Records or to classical and jazz music.  You are ensured of an album that features virtuosic performances of appealing repertoire all recorded to the highest standard by our expert engineers.  

If your preference is for classical music you may enjoy Emma Bell's "Handel Operatic Arias" which was highlighted as a CD of Choice by many reviewers, or an album by Palladians who are five times winners of the prestigious Diapason d'Or Award.  If you particularly enjoy jazz music you are sure to appreciate the vocal skills of Claire Martin who has won a staggering six awards at the BBC Jazz Awards.  Frequently, reviewers also highlight the superb sound quality of Linn Records albums.  Magnificat's "Tallis: Spem in alium" was awarded five stars by Audiophile Audition and is an excellent demonstration of the superior listening experience which can be achieved with surround sound. 

Here are just some of the many Linn Records' albums that have been recommended by the critics...

Awards for our Classical albums and artists:

•  "Messiah (Dublin Version, 1742)" (Linn CKD 285) by the Dunedin Consort received the Baroque Vocal Album of the Year award at the Classic FM Gramophone Awards 2007 and the Baroque Music Award at the Midem Classical Awards 2008. 
• "Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41" (Linn CKD 308) by Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras was named 'Orchestral Disc of the Month' by BBC Music Magazine, 'Album of the Month' by Hifi News and 'Classical CD of the Week' by the Sunday Times.
• "JS Bach Matthew Passion (Final performing version, c. 1742)" (Linn CKD 313) by the Dunedin Consort was named a 'Benchmark' recording and awarded five stars for both performance and sound by BBC Music Magazine, 'Disc of the Month' by Classic FM Magazine and a 'Recommended' recording by Gramophone.
• "La Trompette Retrouvee" (Linn CKD 294) by Jonathan Freeman-Attwood was awarded 'Album of the Year' by the esteemed Polish audiophile publication High Fidelity.
• "James MacMillan Tenebrae" (Linn CKD 301) by Cappella Nova was awarded Gramophone Editor's Choice in January 2008.
• "Buxtehude Membra Jesu Nostri" by The Sixteen (Linn CKD 141) was named Gramophone Editor's Choice and the BBC Radio 3 Building a Library first choice.
• "On Wenlock Edge" (Linn CKD 296) by James Gilchrist was awarded CD of the Week in both The Telegraph and The Observer. This is in addition to numerous excellent awards, including 5 stars from Classic FM Magazine who praised the performance of unforgettable energy.
• "La Guitarra Española - The Music of Santiago de Murcia" (Linn CKD 288) by William Carter was awarded Gramophone Editor's Choice in July 2007 claiming the finest Baroque guitar playing you'll ever hear. The album also received the highest recommendation award from Opus d'Or.
• Multichannel Record of the Year (soundstage!) for Benjamin Britten "Les Illuminations" (Linn CKD 226) with the Scottish Ensemble.
• "Handel Operatic Arias" (Linn CKD 252) by Emma Bell was Gramophone Editor's Choice, Opera Disc of the Month in BBC Music Magazine, CD of the week - Sunday Telegraph, and 5 star reviews in Classic FM magazine, The Independent, The Herald and Audiophile.no 
• "Fiddler Tam" (Linn CKD 240) by Concerto Caledonia was awarded a prestigious Diapason Decouverte award
• "Erlebach VI Sonate" (Linn CKD 270) by Rodolfo Richter was awarded five stars by The Sunday Herald. Entirely enchanting 
• "Geminiani Cello Sonatas" (Linn 251) by Alison McGillivray was awarded five stars by The Herald. An absolute gem
• "Prokofiev Violin Concerto" (Linn CKD 219) by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra/ Swensen was awarded five stars by The Scotsman. A spectacular new disc
• "Reminiscences" (Linn CKD 248) by Artur Pizarro was awarded five stars by The Glasgow Herald. Some of the finest Chopin playing on record.
• "Shostakovich Symphony No 11" (Linn CKD 247) by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Lazarev was awarded five stars by the Daily Express. Thrilling and powerful
• "Oh Fair To See" (Linn CKD 253) by James Gilchrist was named a ‘Benchmark Recording' and awarded five stars for both performance and sound by BBC Music Magazine. Compelling from the first note
• "Dvorak Violin Concerto" (Linn CKD 241) by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra/ Swensen - 8 for Artistic Quality and 10 for Sound Quality - ClassicsToday.com. Linn's sonics are superb
• "Lizst Sonata and Etudes" (Linn CKD 282) by George-Emmanuel Lazaridis was named 'Instrumental Disc of the Month' by BBC Music Magazine and awarded five stars by Classic FM Magazine who called it a Liszt release made in heaven.
• "Tallis: Spem in alium" (Linn CKD 233) by Magnificat was Gramophone Editor's Choice and was awarded five stars by Audiophile Audition.  An outstanding performance of Thomas Tallis's Spem in alium Gramophone.
• "Dangerous Graces" (Linn CKD 169) by Musica Secreta was awarded a "Diapason Decouverte", given to recordings of historical significance
• Palladians are seven times winners of the prestigious Diapason d'Or Award, winning in 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000 and twice in 2008.  One of the best chamber ensembles currently in business The Gramophone.

Awards for our Jazz albums and artists:

• "Years Apart" (Linn AKD 058) by Martin Taylor won the "Best Guitar" and "Best Small Group" awards at the British Jazz Awards.  In 2007 Martin was awarded the BBC Radio 2's "Heart of Jazz" Award.
• Ian Shaw was named "Best Jazz Vocalist "at the BBC Jazz Awards in 2007 and in 2004.
• Barb Jungr was named as "Best International Artist" at the Backstage 'Bistro' Awards in New York and won a 2008 New York Nightlife Award.
• "He never mentioned love" (AKD 295) by Claire Martin was named "CD of the Week" by The Sunday Post and received four stars reviews from Jazzwise, The Evening Standard, Mojo, The Observer, The Guardian and many more...
• "Love Me Tender" (Linn AKD 255) by Barb Jungr was awarded four and a half stars by Audiophile Audition. Blows me away every time I listen to it.
• "When Lights Are Low" (Linn AKD 260) by Claire Martin and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett was named ‘CD of the Week' by the Sunday Post, Scotland on Sunday and the Birmingham Post.
• Claire Martin has won a staggering six awards at the BBC Jazz Awards (formerly the British Jazz Awards) including "Best Vocalist", "Vocalist of the Year" and "Rising Star". Talented and hip beyond her years New York Observer.