Swallow Music Awards ( hy, Ծիծեռնակ երաժշտական մրցանակաբաշխություն, Tsitsernak yerazhshtakan mrcanakabashkhutiun) is an annual national music awards ceremony first held in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

, Armenia, on 25 March 2017. The awards are created and sponsored by RA Ministry of Culture to appreciate and spur the activities of individuals and creators of various genres of Armenian musical art, as well as to display the significant achievements in the field of music to the broader layers of society. The awards consist of four parts: achievements in classical genre, folk genre, mass pop genre, and special/other awards. During the ceremony artists are given the awards designed by Armenian painter and designer Arman Nur. Each year, the award ceremony airs live on Public Television company of Armenia.

Award process

Unlike other Armenian awards, such as the "Armenian Europe" Music Awards and "Pan Armenian" Entertainment Awards, which determine winners without any nominations, the ''Swallow'' Music Awards does have nominees and they are based on the applications that they submit beforehand. The award categories are determined if at least two applications have been received for that category. Classical genre awards are decided by a delegation headed by composer

Tigran Mansurian Tigran Yeghiayi Mansurian ( hy, Տիգրան Եղիայի Մանսուրյան; born 27 January 1939) is a leading Armenian composer of classical music and film scores, People's Artist of the Armenian SSR (1990), and Honored Art Worker of the Arm ...

. Folk genre awards are decided by a delegation headed by singer

Ruben Matevosyan Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob. Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugues ...

. Pop genre awards are determined by composer and professor

Robert Amirkhanyan Robert Amirkhanyan ( hy, Ռոբերտ Ամիրխանյան; born November 16, 1939) is an Armenian composer and songwriter. He is a professor at the Yerevan State Conservatory. He wrote over 300 songs, vocal series, operettas. Career In 1969 ...

's commission.

Award categories

Classical genre

* The Best Group (2017–present) * The Best Musician/Performer (2017–present) * The Best Instrumental Musician/Performer (2018–present) * The Best Album (2017–present) * The Best Concert Program (2017–all genres combined, 2018–specified)

Folk genre

Mass Pop Genre

* The Best (Fe)male singer (2017) * The Best Female singer (2018–present) * The Best Male singer (2018–present) * The Best Rock Band (2017–present) * The Best Jazz Band/Performer (2017) * The Best Pop Band (2017–present) * The Best Album (2017–present) * The Hit of the Year (2017–present) * The Best Concert Program (2017–all genres combined, 2018–specified) * The Best Duet (2018–present) * The Reveal of the Year (2018–present)

Other awards

* Not specified special awards

Annual awards

2017 edition

The 2017 Swallow awards were held at the

Yerevan Opera Theatre Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet ( hy, Ալեքսանդր Սպենդիարյանի անվան օպերայի և բալետի ազգային ակադեմիական թատրոն, ''Aleksandr Spendiaryani anvan operayi yev bale ...

in Yerevan on 25 March 2017. The artists could submit their applications from February 1 to 28 February. Stephan Shakaryan was awarded a special prize for his outstanding contribution to Armenian composing art and Ralph Yirikian for always being on the side of culture. Levon Malkhasyan,

Vache Sharafyan Vache Sharafyan ( hy, Վաչե Շարաֆյան), (born February 11, 1966 in Yerevan, Armenia) is an Armenian composer of symphonic works, chamber music, choral music and opera. His works include 2 acts opera ''King Abgar'', ballet ''Second Moon'' ...

Vahagn Hayrapetyan Vahagn Hayrapetyan ( hy, Վահագն Հայրապետյան) (born August 30 1968) is a jazz pianist, singer and composer. Honored Artist of Armenia. Biography Vahagn Hayrapetyan was born in Yerevan in the family of fiddler Karapet Hayrapetyan ...

, Hover Choir, Sibil, State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, ''Hayastan'' Fund&National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia also obtained special awards for their important music programs implemented in 2016.

Classical awards

* The Best Group – Harutyunyan Quartet * The Best Musician/Performer – Gevorg Hakobyan * The Best Album – ''Old and New Yerevan. 2798+''

Folk awards

* The Best Group – Shoghakn * The Best Musician/Performer – Kamo Seyranyan * The Best Album – ''Mokac Mountains'' (Hayrik Muradyan)

Mass Pop awards

* The Best (Fe)male singer – Marine Hakobyan (Marbi) * The Best Rock Band – The Beautified Project * The Best Pop Band – Detk boyband * The Best Jazz Band/Performer – Mikayel Voskanyan and Friends * The Best Album – ''Naghash'' * The Hit of the Year – "

LoveWave "LoveWave" is a song by Armenian singer Iveta Mukuchyan. Premiered on March 2, 2016, it was released as a single on March 30, 2016. It represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. "LoveWave" was written by Mukuchyan, Stephanie Crutch ...

" (Iveta Mukuchyan) * The Best Music Video – "A Letter to the Mother" (Նամակ մայրիկին) (Mihran Tsarukyan)

Special awards

* The Best Music Program – '' Canticle Of Canticles'' ( AMPTV)

2018 edition

The 2018 edition of the awards were held at the same place on 31 March 2018. The hosts of the 2018 edition were Armenian presenters

Avet Barseghyan Avet Barseghyan ( hy, Ավետ Բարսեղյան, ) is an Armenian songwriter and TV host, who hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Yerevan, Armenia, alongside Gohar Gasparyan. Barseghyan has also written several of Armenia's entr ...

and

Nazeni Hovhannisyan Nazeni Hovhannisyan ( hy, Նազենի Հովհաննիսյան, born July 18, 1982) is an Armenian actress, presenter and lecturer at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography The Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinemat ...

Iveta Mukuchyan Iveta Mukuchyan ( hy, Իվետա Մուկուչյան, ; born 14 October 1986) is an Armenian singer. Born in Yerevan, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, she moved to Hamburg, Germany, in 1992. Mukuchyan returned to Armenia in 2009 and placed ...

was named the best female singer of the year and Erik was named the best male one.

Classical awards

* The Best Music Program – ''Angry Justice'' (Ահեղ դատաստան) (Yerevan Opera Theatre) * The Best Group – Hover choir * The Best Musician/Performer – Liparit Avetisyan * The Best Album – ''Alexsandr Harutyunyan: Complete piano works'' (Hayk Melikyan) * The Best Instrumental Musician/Performer – Diana Adamyan (violin)

Folk awards

* The Best Music Program – ''Duduk Tribute Celebration'' (Դուդուկի մեծարման երեկո) ( Kamo Seyranyan) * The Best Group – State Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Gyumri * The Best Musician/Performer – Vardan Badalyan * The Best Album – ''I am remembering you'' (State Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Gyumri) * The Best Instrumental Musician/Performer – Norayr Gaphoyan (

duduk The duduk ( ; hy, դուդուկ ) or tsiranapogh ( hy, ծիրանափող, meaning “apricot-made wind instrument”), is an ancient Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. It is indigenous to Armenia. Variations of th ...

)

Pop awards

* The Best Female singer –

* The Best Male singer – Erik * The Best Rock Band – Nemra * The Best Pop Band – The Voices of Artsakh * The Best Album – ''Amazing and unusual'' (Զարմանալի և անսովոր) (YellowStons) * The Hit of the Year – Lusin (

Garik Papoyan Garik Papoyan ( hy, Գարիկ Պապոյան , born 20 September 1984) is an Armenian actor, musician, presenter, writer and comedian. Early life Garik Papoyan was born on 20 September 1984 in Gyumri. He received secondary education No. 196 ...

Sona Rubenyan Sona Rubenyan ( arm, Սոնա Ռուբենյան, born December 14, 1993) is an Armenian singer and songwriter. She is best known for winning the fifth edition of ''Hay Superstar''. Career In 2011, Rubenyan became the winner of the fifth edition ...

) * The Best Concert Program – ''Eternal City of Love'' (

Hayko Hayk "Hayko" Hakobyan ( hy, Հայկ Հակոբյան; 25 August 1973 – 29 September 2021) was an Armenian singer and songwriter. Biography Hayko was born on 25 August 1973 in Yerevan, Armenia (then part of the Soviet Union). He studied at Y ...

) * The Best Duet – Aram Mp3 and 3.33 * The Discovery of the Year – Hakob Hakobyan & Arman Hovhannisyan * The Best Music Video – "Eternal City of Love" (Hayko)

Special awards

Sirusho Siranush Harutyunyan ( hy, Սիրանուշ Հարությունյան; born 7 January 1987), known professionally as Sirusho ( hy, Սիրուշո), is an Armenian singer and songwriter. She received her first award when she was nine years old fo ...

* Gaya Arzumanyan * AMPTV *

Rita Sargsyan Rita Aleksandri Sargsyan ( hy, Ռիտա Ալեքսանդրի Սարգսյան, ''née'' Dadayan (), 6 March 1962 – 20 November 2020) was the wife of Serzh Sargsyan, the President of Armenia from 2008 to 2018. She was born to a military family ...

and

* Artak Kirakosyan * Artur Grigoryan

Controversies

The rule that artists should submit their applications for some of the awards caused the dissatisfaction of several singers, such as Syuzanna Melqonyan, who stated "This is just offensive to the artist's musical career".

References

{{Musicawards Awards established in 2017 Armenian-language television shows 2010s in Armenia 2017 in Armenia 2018 in Armenia