The nominees are a recording of Bach's Cantatas led by conductor John Eliot Gardiner and released on his label; a collection of late Beethoven quartets by the Takšcs Quartet; a DVD of Berlioz's The Trojans, also led by Gardiner; a recording of Haydn's The Seasons led by Ren_ Jacobs (who won last year with Le nozze di Figaro); a CD of Haydn's "Paris" Symphonies by conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his Concentus Musicus Wien; and tenor Rolando Villaz‹n's collection of arias by Gounod and Massenet.

The nominees were today announced at a luncheon at London's Wigmore Hall; the winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel on September 29. That event will also include the presentation of Gramophone's artist of the year award, for which the nominees were announced in July. Jacobs and Villazon are up for both record of the year and artist of the year.

Gramophone will present its lifetime-achievement award on September 26 in New York.

For the second time, Gramophone has assembled a group of "celebrity champions" to help publicize the various nominees. They include actor Samuel West, radio DJ Emma B, writer and onetime hostage Terry Waite, and former culture secretary Chris Smith.