Edinburgh Festival Insider - Music Award 2009

Each year, the Fringe and the offshoot Edge Festival provide a wide range of musical offerings to cater for every taste. From world music to avant garde; classical to techno - there's something there for everyone.

The nominations for the Edinburgh Festival Insider Music Award 2009 are:

• Camille O'Sullivan with The Dark Angel. A mesmerising show and an electrifying performer, capable of hypnotising a crowd with the raw power of emotion.
• Patti Plinko and Her Boy. A bewitching set from Patti and The Boy, backed this year by a new addition on violin. Songs of love, death and suicide have never been so glamourous.
  
• Amanda Palmer. During her visit, the Edinburgh Festival seemed to turn into the Amanda Palmer Festival - her many and varied sets and appearances were always hugely entertaining.
  
• Creole Choir of Cuba. A wonderfully uplifting and accomplished performance that was the highlight of this year's World Festival at St George's West
• Brocante Sonare. Music and percussion created from machinery, chairs and other household objects by a talented troupe of French artists.

And the winner is...

Camille O'Sullivan with The Dark Angel

With a uniquely beguiling and emotional voice, Camille blows away audiences whenever she plays. An inspired choice of songs backed by a tight group of talented musicians allows her to fully exploit the power, passion and pathos of songs she cradles like children. A consummate performer, her line in between-song banter amuses and delights, creating little moments of relief before a song like 'Hurt' or 'Look Mummy No Hands' slowly draws your heart from your chest and into your mouth.

Music that can change you, and for that, Camille O'Sullivan is awarded the:

The Edge Festival

Music has always been a mainstay of the Fringe, and that part of the programme is a fertile ground for world music, classical recitals and other aural treats that are all too easy to miss amongst the more popular comedy & theatrical options.

In 2000, the T on the Fringe breakout festival injected things with a welcome and healthy shot of live rock music, bringing the likes of Radiohead, Snow Patrol, Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails in previous years to shake things up a bit (and annoy some of the residents who lived near Meadowbank).

Since the promoters and Tennents (T) have gone their separate ways, this was replaced in 2008 by the Edge Festival. Still with a commitment to bring alternative music to the Fringe, the Edge is back again this year with another strong line-up.

As is the nature of live music gigs, some - such as a rare show from Faith No More - have already sold out, but tickets still remain for some cracking bands and artists. Highlights include indie faves Biffy Clyro, ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, post-punk pioneers Magazine and, my own personal favourite, Amanda Palmer.

The Edge Festival (and its previous T incarnation) has made live rock music a permanent fixture on the Edinburgh festival scene, meaning that I now can't think of a single artistic genre that isn't represented (although the Film festival has since moved dates to June, but one could argue that just got in the way of everything else anyway...!)