Here's the winners of the Aftonbladet Rockbjörnen awards:

Best female artist: Lisa Miskovsky
Best male artist: Per Gessle
Best song: "Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)" - Per Gessle
Best album: "Mazarin" - Per Gessle
Best group: Kent
Best newcomer: Pauline

As you can see, Per swept the competition and Kent won yet again in a year when they didn't even release an album. *yawn*
Read more: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,420749,00.html

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
02. Per Gessle - Mazarin
03. Sophie Zelmani - Love Affair
04. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
05. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
06. Georg Riedel orkester - Barn på nytt
07. José González - Veneer
08. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
09. Miio - På vårt sätt
10. The Latin Kings - Omertà
11. Bergman Rock - Bergman Rock
12. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
13. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
14. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
15. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
16. The Knife - Deep Cuts
17. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
18. Björn Rosenström - Var får jag allt ifrån?
19. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull
20. Ulf Lundell - En eld i kväll

Here are some of the nominees for the Swedish Grammies:

Best Pop Female:
Jill Johnson - Roots and Wings
Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
Miss Universum - Selfelected
Pauline - Candy Rain
Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday Light Naive

Best Pop Male:
Magnus Carlson - Ett Kungarike För En Kram
Per Gessle - Mazarin
José González - Veneer
Peter LeMarc - Det Som Håller Oss Vid Liv
Mauro Scocco - Beat Hotel

Best Pop Group:
Alcazar - Alcazarized
Bo Kaspers Orkester - Vilka Tror Vi Att Vi Är
Da Buzz - More Than Alive
David & The Citizens - Until The Sadness Is Gone
The Knife - Deep Cuts

Best Rock Album (solo):
Eagle-Eye - Cherry Sub Rosa
Christian Kjellvander - Introducing The Past
Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
Moneybrother - Blood Panic
Thomas Rusiak - In The Sun

Best Rock Group:
Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
Broder Daniel - Cruel Town
The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
Fireside - Get Shot
Randy - Welfare Problems

Best Songwriter:
Karin & Olof Dreijer
Per Gessle
Lisa Miskovsky & Joakim Berg
Peter Svensson
Moneybrother (Anders Wendin)

Best Lyrics:
Timbuktu (Jason Diakté)
Per Gessle
Peter LeMarc
Nina Persson
Lars Winnerbäck

Best Producer:
Joakim Berg/Simon Norberg
Karin & Olof Dreijer
Pelle Gunnerfeldt
Jari Haapalainen
C. Öfwerman, C. Lundquist & P. Gessle

Best Hip-hop/Soul:
Advance Patrol - Utskrivna
Kaah - Jideblasko
Ken Det - Bortglömda
The Latin Kings - Omerta
Timbuktu - The Botten Is Nådd!

Best Hard Rock:
Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
Evergrey - Recreation Day
The Haunted - One Kill Wonder
Mustasch - Ratsafari
Opeth - Damnation

Best Jazz:
E.S.T. - Seven Days Of Falling
Rigmor Gustavsson - with I Will Wait For You
Nils Landgren and The Fleshquartet
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Plays Loud For The People
Oddjob - Koyo
Bobo Stenson/Lennart Åberg

Best Club/Dance Song:
Hundarna Från Söder - Hundarna Från Söder BAM
Koop - Waltz For Koop - Alternative Takes
Physics - First Flight NSD
Plej - Electronic Music From The Westcoast
Sophie Rimheden - Hi-Fi Mitek

Best Pop/Dance Band:
Barbados - Hela Himlen
Fame - Give Me Your Love
Jan Johansen - X My Heart
Jill Johnson - Discography
Lasse Stefanz - Det Här Är Bara Början

Go here for the full list: http://www.ifpi.se/02.images/01.top/02.subnav_pdf/08.grammis/pdf/Grammisnomineringar_2003.pdf

The Swedish Grammy nominees for best song have been announced:

01. Alcazar - Not a sinner nor a saint
02. Da Buzz - Alive
03. Per Gessle - Här kommer alla känslorna
04. Markoolio - Vilse i skogen
05. Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust

The rest of the nominees will be announced on TV4 tomorrow morning.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
02. Sophie Zelmani - Love Affair
03. Per Gessle - Mazarin
04. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
05. The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
06. Georg Riedel orkester - Barn på nytt
07. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
08. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
09. José González - Veneer
10. Miio - På vårt sätt
11. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
12. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
13. Bergman Rock - Bergman Rock
14. Moneybrother - Bloodpanic
15. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
16. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
17. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
18. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
19. Björn Rosenström - Var får jag allt ifrån?
20. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull

Dolores Records will be reissuing the out-of-print "Instrumentalmusik" solo debut album from Björn Olsson. There's no release date confirmed yet, but it should come as good news for those of you in Sweden contemplating ordering from the US where we can still get it.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Peter Jöback - Jag kommer hem igen till jul
02. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
03. Per Gessle - Mazarin
04. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
05. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
06. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
07. Sophie Zelmani - Love Affair
08. Georg Riedel orkester - Barn på nytt
09. Miio - På vårt sätt
10. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
11. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
12. The Refreshments - Rock 'n' Roll X-mas
13. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
14. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
15. Ulf Lundell - En eld i kväll
16. José González - Veneer
17. Bergman Rock - Bergman Rock
18. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
19. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
20. Björn Rosenström - Var får jag allt ifrån?

Aftonbladet looks forward to the big releases planned for the coming year: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,412712,00.html (in Swedish)

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
02. Peter Jöback - Jag kommer hem igen till jul
03. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
04. v/a - Barn på nytt
05. Per Gessle - Mazarin
06. The Refreshments - Rock 'n' Roll X-mas
07. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
08. Miio - På vårt sätt
09. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
10. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
11. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
12. Ulf Lundell - En eld i kväll
13. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
14. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
15. Lars Roos - För de som älskar
16. Björn Rosenström - Var får jag allt ifrån?
17. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
18. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull 14 visklassiker
19. José González - Veneer
20. Sten & Stanley - Samlade tv-hits

Read about and preview singer/songwriter Sohpie Zelmani's new album "Love Affairs" over at Aftonbladet. (see links on right, in Swedish)

The Hives will premiere their brand new single at the P3 Gold Awards on January 23 at Storan in Göteborg. Other acts set to play include Nicolai Dunger, Lisa Miskovsky, Patrik Isaksson, Elin Sigvardsson, Timbuktu, Broder Daniel and Soundtrack Of Our Lives. As for the awards themselves, here's the nominees:

Guldmicken (best live act):
José González
Moneybrother
Randy
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best song:
The Cardigans - "For What It's Worth"
Per Gessle - "Här Kommer Alla Känslorna (På En Och Samma Gång)"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Lady Stardust"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"
Broder Daniel - "When We Were Winning"

Best group:
Alcazar - "Alcazarised"
Bad Cash Quartet - "Midnight Prayer"
Broder Daniel - "Cruel Town"
The Cardigans - "Long Gone Before Daylight"
The Knife - "Deep Cuts"

Best male artist:
Per Gessle - "Mazarin"
José González - "Veneer"
Moneybrother - "Blood Panic"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"
Lars Winnerbäck - "Söndermarken"

Best female artist:
Lisa Miskovsky - "Fallingwater"
Miss Universum - "Selfelected"
Pauline - "Candy Rain"
Sophie Rimheden - "Hi-Fi"
Elin Sigvardsson - "Saturday Light Naïve"

Best newcomer:
José González
Miss Universum
Moneybrother
Pauline
Radio Dept.

Best rock:
Arch Enemy - "Anthems of Rebellion"
Cult Of Luna - "The Beyond"
Mörk Gryning - "Pieces of Primal Expressionism"
Nasum - "Helvete"
Satirnine - "Void of Value"

Best dance:
Jesper Dahlbäck - total production 2003
Eric Prydz - total production 2003
Forss - "Soulhack"
Hundarna från Söder - "Hundarna Från Söder"
Plej - "Electronic Music From The Swedish Leftcoast"

Best pop:
Franke - "Optimismens Hån"
The Knife - "Deep Cuts"
Radio Dept. - "Lesser Matters"
Sophie Rimheden - "Hi-Fi"
Tape - "Milieu"

Best hip-hop/soul:
Advance Patrol - "Utskrivna"
Fattaru - "Jordnära"
Ken - "Det Bortglömda"
Latin Kings - "Omerta"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"

For more info, go to P3 Gold's website.

No doubt looking to replicate the amazing success of fellow Roxette member Per Gessle, Marie Fredriksson has her own plans for a new solo record. Read the interview from Aftonbladet. (in Swedish)

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. The Refreshments - Rock 'n' Roll X-mas
02. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
03. Peter Jöback - Jag kommer hem igen till jul
04. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
05. Per Gessle - Mazarin
06. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
07. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
08. Ulf Lundell - En eld i kväll
09. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
10. Barbados - Hela himlen
11. Miio - På vårt sätt
12. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
13. Lars Roos - För de som älskar
14. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
15. Björn Rosenström - Var får jag allt ifrån?
16. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
17. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
18. José González - Veneer
19. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull 14 visklassiker
20. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome

Download the mp3 for "The Sweetest Gift" from Gusto, "Sweden's finest blend of dancehall and roots": http://www.gusto.nu/originals/The_Sweetest_Gift.mp3

The write-ins have been tabulated and the nominees for the 25th annual Rockbjornen have been announced. Here's the categories I care about:

Best Swedish male:
Per Gessle
José González
Moneybrother
Timbuktu
Lars Winnerbäck

Best Swedish female:
Carola
Lisa Miskovsky
Pauline
Robyn
Elin Sigvardsson

Best Swedish group:
Alcazar
Backyard Babies
Broder Daniel
Kent
The Cardigans

Best Swedish song:
Per Gessle - Här Kommer Alla Känslorna
Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust
Backyard Babies - Minus Celsius
Timbuktu - The Botten Is Nådd
Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning

Best Swedish album:
Moneybrother - Blood Panic
Broder Daniel - Cruel Town
The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
Per Gessle - Mazarin
Lars Winnerbäck - Söndermarken

Best Swedish newcomer:
José González
Jamie Meyer
Moneybrother
Pauline
Elin Sigvardsson

Finland's The Rasmus is also nominated in the best international song, group and album categories. Go here to vote: http://www.rockbjornen.se

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Ulf Lundell - En eld i kväll
02. The Refreshments - Rock 'n' Roll X-mas
03. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
04. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
05. Peter Jöback - Jag kommer hem igen till jul
06. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
07. Barbados - Hela himlen
08. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
09. Per Gessle - Mazarin
10. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
11. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
12. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
13. José González - Veneer
14. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
15. Lars Roos - För de som älskar
16. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
17. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull 14 visklassiker
18. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
19. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
20. Bamse - Bamses dunder-hits

UK label XL Recordings will be putting out Radio Dept. within their territory early on next year. The much-hyped label is home to acts such as Mercury Prize winner Dizzee Rascal, as well as Badly Drawn Boy, White Stripes, and Basement Jaxx, so you can pretty much assume that the group is ready to blow up. The first single "Why Won't You Talk About It?" gets released on February 23, the album "Lesser Matters" on March 22, and the next single "Liebling" in May. After that, it's just a matter of time until the world catches up most likely. As you should probably already know, the band's most recnet EP "Pulling Our Weight" was released last month in Sweden on Labrador and you can download an mp3 of the title track right here.

Here's the nominees for the NRJ Radio Awards categories that are relevant to this site:

Best Nordic artist:
Per Gessle
Outlandish
The Rasmus
Lene Marlin
Jay-Kid

Best Nordic song:
The Rasmus - "In The Shadows"
Outlandish - "Aicha"
Per Gessle - "Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)"
Beats And Styles - "Dynamite"
Lene Marlin - "You Weren't There"

Best Swedish male artist:
Per Gessle
Timbuktu
Bosson
Dr Alban
Jamie Meyer

Best Swedish female artist:
Sahlene
Robyn
Lisa Miskovsky
September
Dilba

Best Swedish group:
Kent
Da Buzz
The Sounds
Alcazar
Antique

Best Swedish newcomer:
September
Miio
User
Fame
Ana

Best Swedish song:
Per Gessle - "Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)"
Da Buzz - "Alive"
Alcazar - "Not A Sinner, Nor A Saint"
Timbuktu - "The botten is nådd"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Lady Stardust"

Winners will be announced during the live broadcast awards show on January 25 in Stockholm. Go here to cast your votes: www.nrjradioawards.com.

Royal Downfall is offering their entire new album "08.00 - 16.00" for free download on their website under the creative commons license agreement. "It's impossible to make money selling records these days unless you're Kent or Per Gessle," said drummer Janne Olofsson to And the Sound netzine, "We're only interested in having people hear us, come see us live, buy shirts, and so forth."

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Glitz - Away from you (FIN)
02. Technicolour - Fireflies (FIN)
03. Nina Rochelle - Taxi 43 (SWE)
04. The Rasmus - The first day of my life (FIN)
05. Garbo - Won't be in your way (DK)
06. Xantom - Miss you (DK)
07. Johnny Deluxe - Elskovspony (DK)
08. Zen Café - Piha ilman sadettajaa (FIN)
09. User - To feel (SWE)
10. Jonna - Kaikki talossa (FIN)

Challengers:
01. The Latin Kings - Cashen dom tas (SWE)
02. Klovner i kamp - Konger i kamp (NOR)
03. Fintelligens - Vaan sil on väliä (FIN)

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
02. The Refreshments - Rock 'n' Roll X-mas
03. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
04. Peter Jöback - Jag kommer hem igen till jul
05. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
06. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
07. Per Gessle - Mazarin
08. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
09. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
10. Lars Roos - För de som älskar
11. José González - Veneer
12. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
13. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
14. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
15. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull 14 visklassiker
16. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
17. Mats Ronander - Bästa
18. Bamse - Bamses dunder-hits
19. Broder Daniel - Cruel town
20. Lisa Ekdahl - En samling sånger

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

Leaving the chart:
06. Paris "Rainy Day In London"
13. Bring Me The Fucking Riot...Man "Lolita Riotta"
14. The Legends "There And Back Again"
16. Guided By Voices "The Best Of Jill Hives"
17. Slow Train Soul "In The Black Of Night"
19. Primal Scream Ft. (Kate Moss "Some Velvet Morning"
20. The Bear Quartet "Ask Me, Don't Axe Me"

As you've probably already heard, the first couple bands for next year's Hultsfred fest have been confirmed: Broder Daniel, C.Aarmé, Rocky Dennis, The Legends, Snook and The Kid. The show isn't until next July, but tickets go on sale at the end of December. Details: www.rockparty.se