Ribeiro, 35, a leading exponent of Fado - the traditional Lisbon form of the mournful song - was nominated for his 2016 album ‘Hoje é Assim, Amanhã Não Sei’.
Other artists nominated include the Saharawi singer-songwriter Aziza Brahim, for her album ‘Abbar el Hamada’, the Hungarian violinist Félix Lajkó, for ‘Most Jöttem’, and Senegal’s Baaba Maal, for ‘The Traveller’.
Ribeiro has already been nominated once, in 2015, for his album ‘Largo da Memória’, in the same category, which was won by Nigeria’s Tony Allen for his album ‘Film of Life’.
Songlines has followed the Portuguese singer’s career closely, having in 2008 identified him as a “Rising Star of Fado”.
Last year, when his latest album came out, the magazine described it as consolidating his previous work, and Ribeiro as the “best masculine Fado voice of his generation”.
Another Portuguese Fado singer, Mariza, last year won the Best Artist of the Year, for her album ‘Mundo’.
The choice of finalists for Best Artist and Best Group prizes is made by the magazine’s readers, the others by the editorial staff. Other categories include Best Album, divided by geographical region - Europe, Africa and Middle East, Americas, Asia and South Pacific - and Best Fusion Album.
The winners, including the Revelation and ‘World Pioneer’ prizes are announced on 12 May.