Re-emphasising their popularity, superhit film 'Dabangg' and item numbers 'Munni' and 'Sheila' emerged top winners at the Global Indian Music Awards (GIMA) 2011. The best film album award went to the Salman Khan starrer, with its composer duo Sajid-Wajid winning the best music director award. Sunidhi Chauhan won the best playback singer (female) for 'Sheila ki jawani' and Mamta Sharma won the best music debut for 'Munni Badnam'. 'Pee Loon' from 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai' was named the best song, with its crooner Mohit Chauhan winning the best playback singer (male) award and writer Irshad Kamil taking home the best lyricist award. Hosted by actors Ranveer Singh and Neha Dhupia, the awards gala last night, held for the second year, saw the best of the talents from film and non-film music being honoured. M Balamuralikrishna was honoured for his outstanding contribution to classical music. "Indian music is global

 

music, artistes like us have proved it," he said while accepting the honour. Grammy award winning maestro Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who took home the best folk album award, said, "When I won the Grammy in 1994, I was thinking why don't we have something like this in India? GIMA is our answer to that."

 

Veteran music composer Pyarelal of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo was honoured for his outstanding contribution to film music, who shared the honour with his lyricists, singers, musicians and recordists. "Its all a team effort," he said, adding, "Lataji has been a big contributor in our success."