The various categories of the Play awards follow different ways of choosing the respective finalists. Nominations in the categories (see box) Vodafone Song of the Year, Best Female Artist, Best Male Artist, Best Group and Best Album are chosen by 235 professionals linked to music industry (agents, managers, artists, producers, show promoters, technicians and journalists) — through a list based on volumetric criteria of sales and airplay radio stations for 2023.
It should be noted that the categories Best Fado Album, New Artist, Light and Popular Music Award, Lusofonia Award, Best Video Clip, Best Jazz Album and Best Classical/Erudite Music Album were subject to applications from artists and publishers, and in this edition, the organization highlighted their growth. This year Play received 842, an increase of 57% compared to 2023 (537).
The 12 categories will be joined by two more (14 in total), whose names will be announced at the May gala: Career Award, awarded by the promoters — Audiogest and GDA — and Critics’ Award, which is defined by a panel of music journalists. According to the organization, the entire process is audited.
