While the voting for the fourth annual esctoday.com Awards is taking place, we take the time to introduce the nominees in the 21 categories. Today, we take a look at the Best duo/group performance and Best duo/group vocal performance categories.

• You can vote in the 2009 esctoday.com awards here.

Aysel & Arash (Azerbaijan)

Nominated for: Best duo/group performance, Best duo/group vocal performance

Aysel was a newcomer to the music business, although she has started singing at the age of only four. She took part in various singing contests and won the Pohre award in 2001. She then entered a music school in Baku taking lessons in the piano and vocals department. In 2004, she continued her studies in the United States, where she successfully took part in various singing competitions. Back in Azerbaijan, she now concentrates on her carreer as a singer and on her studies.

Arash was born in Iran, but his family moved to Sweden when he was still a child. He became famous in 2005with the song Boro boro, which was a number one hit in Sweden and also reached the charts inGermany, Austria, Switzerland, Finlandand Poland. Other successful recordings followed, among them the song Arash, which was a number one hit in Poland. So far, he has released three albums and he also works as a songwriter and producer for other artists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTBf3oxtFso

Urban Symphony (Estonia)

Nominated for: Best duo/group performance

Urban Symphony centers around 20-year-oldlead singer and violinist Sandra Nurmsalu. She became famous in 2007 as a contestant in the talent search Kaks takti etti. The same show has also seen many other Estonian Eurovision Song Contest representatives like Ines (2000), Gerli Padar (2007), Tanel Padar (2001) and Silvi Vrait (1994), to name just a few.

The other members of Urban Symphony are viola playerMann Helstein, who has performed with various orchestras all over Europe, cellist Johanna Mängel, who is also working as a journalist and cellist Mari Möldre, who is the youngestgroup member at the age of16 and has performedin many countries including Australia. Urban Symphony met during the show Kaks takti etti, when a bands round was held.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwwZHGc6f-A

Regina (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Nominated for: Best duo/group performance

Regina were founded in Sarajevo in1990 by the three instrumentalists Denis �abri�, Bojan Mili�evi� and Aleksandar �ovi�, who also writes the songs for the band. They started looking for a lead singer and after a long search, Davor Ebner was chosen. The band,whose songs are inspired by Irish rock band U2, enjoyed success all over the country. Whenthe civil war started, Regina escaped to Belgrade, where they continued their career and released six albums over the following years.

In 2000, the band took a break when Aleksandar �ovi� started his solo career. In 2006, Regina reunited when alloriginal members teamed up again for a radio festival in Serbia. They released a new albumcalled Sve mogu ja, whichturned out to be a success.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JudEsQHACog

Inga & Anush (Armenia)

Nominated for: Best duo/group performance, Best duo/group vocal performance

Sisters Inga and Anush Arshakyan are both graduatesof the S. Aslamazyan music school. Inga studied violin and jazz singing and she has laso worked as a violinist for a well-known orchestra. Her sister Anush majored in piano, but she also studied jazz singing. In 1994, she had already been the winner ofa musiccontest in Omskand shewould also performwith the philharmonic orchestra of Armenia.

As a duo, the sisters started their career in 2000 by entering the National Song Theater of Armenia. Ever since they have enjoyed a successful career with many concerts around Europe and the USA. Nowadays they are said to be the most popular folk singers in Armenia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcmvQq5Yifg

Flor-de-Lis (Portugal)

Nominated for: Best duo/group performance

Flor-de-Lis were founded in 2004 as a musical project whose object it was to mix traditional Portuguese music with musical styles from other countries and continents, especially South America and Africa.They have released one album so far had have gone one toru through Portugal.

The band currently consists of seven members: Daniela Varela (vocals), Paulo Pareira (wind instruments), José Camacho (guitar andPortuguese guitar), Jorge Marques (guitar and cavaquinho), Ana Sofia Campeã(accordion), Rolando Amaral(bass) and Pedro Marques (drums and percussions). As only six performers are allowed on a Eurovision stage, Rolando Amaral did not perform in the contest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YybBpqJyHtg

Noa & Mira Awad (Israel)

Nominated for: Best duo/group vocal performance

Noa, whose real name is Achinoam Nini, was born in Tel Aviv to parents with Yemeni roots but she grew up in the United States before moving back to Israel at the age of 17. She later attended a music school, where she met Gil Dor with whom she has been working since. Over the years, she has develop to become one of the most successful live and recording artists of Israel having performed at famous venues all over the world. She is also very well known for her work on film soundtracks as she has worked on the music for pictures such as Goldeneye,Joan of Arc and Life is beautiful. She also sang the part of Esmeralda in the French version of the Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame and its album sold to triple platinum.

Mira Awad was born in Rameh to a Bulgarian mother and an Arab father. Like Noa, she graduated from the Rimon music school in Ramat HaSharon. Currently, she is famous not only as a singer, but also as an actress in films, TV seriesand stage productions. Among others, she starred in the sitcom Arab Labor and in the 2006 Eytan Fox film The bubble. In 2004, she took part in the Israeli national final for the Eurovision Song Contest but finished 14th and hence last with Znam. Noa & Mira awad joined forces for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, but it is not the first time they worked together. Previously, MiraAwad had already appeared on Noa's 2002 album Now covering the Beatles' classic We can work it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c94p9zmgOWI

Igor Cukrov & Andrea (Croatia)

Nominated for: Best duo/group vocal performance

Igor Cukrov became famous as contestant of Operacija trijumf, a version of Fame Academy with competitors from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, FYR Macedoania, Croatia and Montenegro. During the shows, he performed songs by various acts including Andrea Boccelli, Zeljko Joksimovic (Serbia & Montegro 2004), Dino Merlin (Bosnia & Herzegovina 1999), Céline Dion (Switzerland 1988),Aerosmith and U2. He was eliminated in the 13th show, which was held two weeksbefore the finaland he therefore finished seventh.Previously, he had already won the Best New Artist award at the Split Festival.

Andrea went to music school, where she studied piano. In 2004, she entered DORA, the Croatian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. With her song Noah, she finished equal second in the first semi final and second again in the final, where she scored only four points less than Ivan Mikulic. The same year, she won the Best New Artist award at the Split Festival. In 2005, she entered Dora again. Although she finshed equal second in the first semi final again, she reached equal fourth in the final not qualifying for the superfinal with her song Ljudi s mora.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5-Ok9b5sOM

Kamil Mikulcik & Nela Pociková (Slovakia)

Nominated for: Best duo/group vocal performance

Nela Pocisková was born in Bratislava in 1987. While she is still attending music school, she has already played the role of Maria in West Side Story. She is also an actress on television as she has been starring in the show Ordináciav ružovej záhrade, which is currently in its second season.

Another actor in thisprogramme Kamil MikulÄ�ík, whoformed the Slovak Eurovision Song Contest duo with her. He was bron in 1980 and he originates from Trnava.He studied both economics and performing arts, and the latter turnedout to become his profession. Hehas been working as a stage actor for years and he has also appeared in musicals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy_LeyByiz0

Previous winners

Best duo/group performance

This award will be given out for the fourth time. Previously, it has gone to Lordi from Finland in 2006, D'Nash from Spain in 2007 and Euroband from Iceland in 2008.

The complete results:

2006	2007	2008
Finland Germany Poland Lithuania Latvia	Spain – 26.4% Russia – 25.1% Bulgaria – 23.7% Andorra – 15.8% Latvia – 8.9%	Iceland – 57.0% Turkey – 20.7% Azerbaijan – 9.8% Romania – 8.2% Finland – 4.4%

The hall of fame:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6VzdtmrP6Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryaMxyMlTLg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYkhR8idx8U

Best duo/group vocal performance

This award was given out for the first time last year and it was one by Euroband from Iceland. The complete results were:

1. Iceland – 53.6%
2. Turkey – 15.7%
3. Romania – 15.0%
4. Azerbaijan – 11.5%
5. Finland – 4.1%

The hall of fame:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYkhR8idx8U

Tomorrow, we will introduce the nominees in the Best act not to qualify from the semi finals category.