Orchestral Recording of the Year 2017
Chamber Recording of the Year 2017
Instrumental Recording of the Year 2017
Vocal Recording of the Year 2017
Opera Recording of the Year 2017

In 2015, the Limelight Recording of the Year by almost unanimous consent went to a blockbuster recital of Chopin and Mozart by master pianist Grigory Sokolov on a major label: Deutsche Grammophon. Last year, it was rare repertoire by an established ensemble that won out: Herbert Howells by Stephen Layton’s wonderful Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge.

This year saw another closely contested fight with big names like Kaufmann and Perahia slugging it out against relative newcomers. In a nail-biting finale, four discs tied for first place, necessitating a tie break. In the end, the prize went to youth and brilliance, a thorny composer for some, and an independent label that has been a standard bearer for many decades.

The 25 finalists this year were spread across 13 labels with slightly fewer boutique recordings than last year. Repertoire spanned the 16th century to the present, though there was only one disc of contemporary...