It’s that time of year again, the opportunity to have your say in choosing this years pick of the traditional and neo-traditional crop of Scottish artists and associated advocates. Vote below!
We here at ATB are always interested to see what and who is on board for this annual jamboree, not least our man, Seuras Og, who keeps his eye firmly on the sporran and finger on the chanter of the music, ceaselessly reeling forth from North of the border. Indeed a fair few nominees have featured on our pages this year.
An inspiring 116-strong group of shortlisted talent performing and working across Scotland’s vibrant traditional music scene have today been unveiled as nominees for the 22nd MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
Musicians, bands, organisations, teachers, venues, events and individuals involved in the creation and development of Scottish’s homegrown music are shortlisted across 22 categories.
The public has until Sunday 10th November to vote for their favourites at www.scotstradmusicawards.com. The winners will be announced at a star-studded award ceremony at Inverness Leisure on Saturday 30th November when the event returns to the Highland capital for the first time in 10 years.
The single most important awards ceremony for folk and trad musicians, bands and artists, the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are organised by Hands Up For Trad – an organisation which stands at the forefront of Scotland’s cultural landscape, promoting traditional music and culture through their talent development, education and advocacy work.
The gold standard for industry achievement, the awards night will fittingly be held on St. Andrew’s Day and seeks to celebrate stand-out talent from all corners of the country working across a range of genres and styles to create and promote Scotland’s trad music scene over the last 12 months.
The nominees are:
Album of the Year, sponsored by Birnam CD
● Just a Second by Ryan Young
● The Waiting Room by Eamonn Nugent
● A Breaking Sky by Charlie Grey & Joseph Peach
● The Magic Roundabout by Session A9
● ReLoved by Capercaillie
● The Homeroad by Ross Couper Band
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland
● Beth Malcolm
● Siobhan Miller
● Josie Duncan
● Seàn Gray
Composer of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music
● James Ross
● Gillian Fleetwood
● Alec Dalgeish
● Mairead Green and Mike Vass (A.D.A.M)
● Jack Badcock
● Ali Hutton & Laura Beth (From the Ground)
Gaelic Singer of the Year, sponsored by Highland Society of London
● Ainslie Hamill
● Ceitlin Lilidh
● Emma MacLeod
● Kathleen MacInnes
● Katie Macfarlane
Live Act of the Year
● Kinnaris Quintet
● An Dannsa Dub
● Mec Lir
● Niteworks
● Ross Ainslie and Tim Edey
● RuMac
Musician of the Year, sponsored by University of the Highlands and Islands
● Ciorstaidh Beaton
● Anna Massie
● Tom Callister
● Adam Holmes
● Alasdair Iain Paterson
● Patsy Reid
Original Work of the Year, sponsored Musicians’ Union
● Ar Cànan ‘s ar Ceòl by Trail West
● Centennial March (Glen Burnie Lodge) by Louise Bichan
● Alice Allen’s New Voices ‘Bass Culture’
● The Dedication Jigs by Ross Miller
● Tom Campbell Trio EP
Scottish Folk Band of the Year, sponsored by Threads of Sound
● Cala
● Fras
● Haltadans
● The Paul McKenna Band
● RANT
● DLÙ
Up and Coming Artist of the Year, sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
● Tarran
● Amy Laurenson
● Falasgair
● Teud
● Gillie O’Flaherty
● Lauren Collier Band
There are also awards for Club of the Year, Music Tutor of the Year, sponsored by Creative Scotland Youth Music Initiative. Community Project of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Event of the Year, sponsored by VisitScotland, Scottish Dance Band of the Year, sponsored by National Association of Accordion and Fiddle ClubsScottish Pipe Band of the Year, sponsored by National Piping CentreTrad Music in the Media, sponsored by Glasgow Caledonian University and Venue of the Year, with all details as to niminees in the link.
A number of special prizes will also be awarded on the night, selected by a panel of esteemed industry judges, for services to traditional music and culture.
Legendary Skye band Niteworks will receive the Services to Gaelic Award, sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig; beloved musician Christine Martin will be presented with The Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award, while celebrated poet Rab Wilson will receive The Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language Award, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
This year’s event also welcomes the introduction of a new award, The Gaisgeach na Gàidhealtachd, which means Hero of the Highlands. This award will recognise a notable local organisation or figure who has made an invaluable contribution to Highland cultural life and the winner will be named on the night.
A number of stalwarts of the scene who have dedicated their lives to the development of music in Scotland are each year added to the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, sponsored by Fèisean nan Gàidheal and will be honoured in a special reception on the night.
A raft of industry awards will also recognise individuals and organisations which support the creative pipeline of the sector, to include Industry Person of the Year, Production Company of the Year, Recording Studio of the Year, Sound Engineer of the Year and Stage Technician of the Year.
As ever, we have featured a fair old few of the nominees across many of the categories. In particular, we have covered 7 of the 10 shortlisted albums, with other favourites, such as Beth Malcolm, From The Ground, RANT and DLÙ, cropping up elsewhere. The Live Act category looks particularly tight, with two favourites, Niteworks and Kinnaris Quintet head to head in an already tight field.
If you can’t get to Inverness Leisure Centre on St. Andrew’s Day, 30/11/24, for the awards ceremony, catch it on BBC ALBA, from 9pm and on i-player. It’ll be a cracking night with some cracking music. An outstanding lineup of talent is set to take to the stage over the course of the evening, including the Hebridean-born and Highland-based singer and musician Julie Fowlis, whose award-winning talent is recognised the world over; Skipinnish who round off their 25th anniversary year in a fitting fashion, BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2024 Calum McIlroy, party-starters An Dannsa Dub, the inimitable duo of Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Aberdeenshire folk star Ellie Beaton; and young local talent in the form of Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers.
Don’t forget to vote, that link again, here!
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