The 2008 nominations:
AFRICA
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (Mali)
Toumani Diabate & Symmetric Orchestra (Mali)
Tinariwen (Mali)
Simphiwe Dana (South Africa)
AMERICAS
Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective (Belize)
Hazmat Modine (USA)
Bajofondo Tango Club (Argentina/Uruguay)
Maria Rita (Brazil)
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Malouma (Mauritania)
Nass El Ghiwane (Morocco)
Rachid Taha (Algeria)
The Idan Raichel Project (Israel)
ASIA PACIFIC
Anoushka Shankar (India)
Faiz Ali Faiz (Pakistan)
Huun-Huur-Tu (Tuva)
Sa Ding Ding (China)
EUROPE
Manu Chao (France/Spain)
Ojos de Brujo (Spain)
Son de la Frontera (Spain)
Thierry Titi Robin (France)
CULTURE CROSSING
Balkan Beat Box (Israel/USA)
Bole 2 Harlem (USA/Ethiopia)
The Idan Raichel Project (Israel)
Juldeh Camara & Justin Adams (Gambia/Britain)
NEWCOMER
Balkan Beat Box (Israel/USA)
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (Mali)
Mayra Andrade (Cape Verde)
Vieux Farka Touré (Mali)
CLUB GLOBAL
Balkan Beat Box (Israel/USA)
Bajofondo Tango Club (Argentina/Uruguay)
Gaudi-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Italy/UK/Pakistan)
Transglobal Underground (Britain)