Elephant Sessions’ Alasdair Taylor, Julie Fowlis (pictured), Lauren MacColl and folk outfit Imar are among the talent nominated for this year’s MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
Neo-trad quintet Elephant Sessions are in the running for Live Act of The Year, while one of their number, Taylor, has received his first solo nomination for Composer of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music.
The band’s history with the awards stretches back to 2014 when they won Up and Coming Artist of the Year in 2014, Best Live Act in 2016 and the Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music Award last year.
Also in the running for the Composer of the Year Award are Duncan Chisholm, Jenny Sturgeon and Sileas Sinclair.
Elsewhere, ominees for the Trad Album of the Year features Alterum by Fowlis, EVO by Skerryvore and The Seer by Lauren MacColl.
This year also marks the second Trad Album of The Year nomination for Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton for their sophomore album Symbiosis II.
The Folk Band of the Year category includes Glasgow-based five-piece Imar, whose accolades include several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award.
The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music returns this year, with the shortlist of 10 released shortly.
The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards takes place on 1 December at Perth Concert Hall. The event will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA and BBC Radio Scotland.
Stuart Fleming, PRS for Music senior manager, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: ‘From the folk clubs bringing some of Scotland's best live music acts to the stage, to the composers writing the music we all love to hear, it is great to see so much talent recognised by the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
‘Congratulations to all of those nominated – these shortlists showcase the truly excellent culture of Scotland’s traditional music scene, which continues to go from strength to strength.’
The full shortlist:
Album of the Year
Alterum by Julie Fowlis
EVO by Skerryvore
Punch by The Poozies
Sanctuary by Ross Ainslie
Sandwood by Duncan Chisholm
Some Other Land by Adam Sutherland
Symbiosis II by Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton
The Key by Blazin’ Fiddes
The Railway by Hamish Napier
The Seer by Lauren MacColl
Club of the Year
Craigie Folk Club
Arc Sessions
Partick Folk Club
Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Club
Composer of the Year
Alasdair Taylor (Elephant Sessions)
Duncan Chisholm
Jenny Sturgeon
Sileas Sinclair
Community Project of the Year
Taynuilt Ceilidhs
Care for a Ceilidh
Fèis Gleann Albainn
Ceilidh Makers
Event of the Year
Far Far from Ypres
Bothy Culture and Beyond, Celtic Connections
Findhorn Bay Arts Festival
Mull Traditional Music Festival
Gaelic Singer of the Year
Josie Duncan
Maeve Mackinnon
Eilidh Cormack
Ruairidh Cormack
Instrumentalist of the Year
Mike Vass
Laura Wilkie
Patsy Reid
Calum Stewart
Live Act of the Year
Karine Polwart
Findlay Napier
Niteworks
Elephant Sessions
Talisk
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year
Iona Fyfe
George Duff
Hannah Rarity
Christine Kydd
Scottish Dance Band of the Year
David Kennedy SDB
Susan MacFadyen SDB
Martainn Skene Highland Dance Band
Iain MacPhail SDB
Scottish Folk Band of the Year
Paul McKenna Band
Imar
Daimh
Ryan Young and Jenn Butterworth
Kinnaris
Scottish Pipe Band of the Year
North Lanarkshire Schools
Inverary and District
Preston Lodge Novice B Pipe Band
Scottish Power Pipe Band
Trad Music in the Media
The Groove is Not Trivial (Film)
Scots Radio
Pipeline, BBC Radio Scotland
The National
Music Tutor of the Year
Anna Wendy Stevenson
Grant McFarlane
Heather Anderson
Mhairi Marwick
Up and Coming Artist of the Year
Heisk
Assynt
Project Smok
Eabhal
Venue of the Year Award
Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Crafts and Things, Glencoe
Glenbuchat Hall, Aberdeenshire
Drygate Brewery, Glasgow
Neo-trad quintet Elephant Sessions are in the running for Live Act of The Year, while one of their number, Taylor, has received his first solo nomination for Composer of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music.
The band’s history with the awards stretches back to 2014 when they won Up and Coming Artist of the Year in 2014, Best Live Act in 2016 and the Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music Award last year.
Also in the running for the Composer of the Year Award are Duncan Chisholm, Jenny Sturgeon and Sileas Sinclair.
Elsewhere, ominees for the Trad Album of the Year features Alterum by Fowlis, EVO by Skerryvore and The Seer by Lauren MacColl.
This year also marks the second Trad Album of The Year nomination for Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton for their sophomore album Symbiosis II.
The Folk Band of the Year category includes Glasgow-based five-piece Imar, whose accolades include several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award.
The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music returns this year, with the shortlist of 10 released shortly.
The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards takes place on 1 December at Perth Concert Hall. The event will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA and BBC Radio Scotland.
Stuart Fleming, PRS for Music senior manager, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: ‘From the folk clubs bringing some of Scotland's best live music acts to the stage, to the composers writing the music we all love to hear, it is great to see so much talent recognised by the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
‘Congratulations to all of those nominated – these shortlists showcase the truly excellent culture of Scotland’s traditional music scene, which continues to go from strength to strength.’
The full shortlist:
Album of the Year
Alterum by Julie Fowlis
EVO by Skerryvore
Punch by The Poozies
Sanctuary by Ross Ainslie
Sandwood by Duncan Chisholm
Some Other Land by Adam Sutherland
Symbiosis II by Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton
The Key by Blazin’ Fiddes
The Railway by Hamish Napier
The Seer by Lauren MacColl
Club of the Year
Craigie Folk Club
Arc Sessions
Partick Folk Club
Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Club
Composer of the Year
Alasdair Taylor (Elephant Sessions)
Duncan Chisholm
Jenny Sturgeon
Sileas Sinclair
Community Project of the Year
Taynuilt Ceilidhs
Care for a Ceilidh
Fèis Gleann Albainn
Ceilidh Makers
Event of the Year
Far Far from Ypres
Bothy Culture and Beyond, Celtic Connections
Findhorn Bay Arts Festival
Mull Traditional Music Festival
Gaelic Singer of the Year
Josie Duncan
Maeve Mackinnon
Eilidh Cormack
Ruairidh Cormack
Instrumentalist of the Year
Mike Vass
Laura Wilkie
Patsy Reid
Calum Stewart
Live Act of the Year
Karine Polwart
Findlay Napier
Niteworks
Elephant Sessions
Talisk
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year
Iona Fyfe
George Duff
Hannah Rarity
Christine Kydd
Scottish Dance Band of the Year
David Kennedy SDB
Susan MacFadyen SDB
Martainn Skene Highland Dance Band
Iain MacPhail SDB
Scottish Folk Band of the Year
Paul McKenna Band
Imar
Daimh
Ryan Young and Jenn Butterworth
Kinnaris
Scottish Pipe Band of the Year
North Lanarkshire Schools
Inverary and District
Preston Lodge Novice B Pipe Band
Scottish Power Pipe Band
Trad Music in the Media
The Groove is Not Trivial (Film)
Scots Radio
Pipeline, BBC Radio Scotland
The National
Music Tutor of the Year
Anna Wendy Stevenson
Grant McFarlane
Heather Anderson
Mhairi Marwick
Up and Coming Artist of the Year
Heisk
Assynt
Project Smok
Eabhal
Venue of the Year Award
Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Crafts and Things, Glencoe
Glenbuchat Hall, Aberdeenshire
Drygate Brewery, Glasgow
