BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 nominees revealed

The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards have announced the nominees for the 2019 awards. Now in their 20th year, the awards celebrate the wide range of talents in vocal and instrumental folk music from the UK and Ireland in both traditional and contemporary styles. The Best Album category is also open to a public vote – you can vote for your favourite on the BBC website.

The awards ceremony this year will take place at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on October 16, becoming part of the Manchester Folk Festival for the first time. Since its launch in 2017, the festival has gone from strength to strength, now being regarded as one of the crucial dates in the UK folk calendar. 

As well as the categories and nominees announced last week, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Irish group Dervish, whose 30^th anniversary album, The Great Irish Songbook, was reviewed in Songlines #149.

The full list of nominees can be found below; for more information and to book your tickets to the ceremony, head over to the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards website.

Folk Singer of the Year

• Gwilym Bowen Rhys
• Lisa O'Neill
• Olivia Chaney
• Ríoghnach Connolly

Best Duo or Group

• Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita
• Stick in the Wheel
• The Breath
• The Rheingans Sisters

The Horizon Award

• Brìghde Chaimbeul
• Kinnaris Quintet
  Kitty Macfarlane
• The Trials of Cato

Best Traditional Track

• ‘Factory Girl’ by Lisa O'Neill ft. Radie Peat
• ‘Ffoles Llantrisant’ by VRï
• ‘The Foggy Dew’ by Ye Vagabonds
• ‘The Reedcutter's Daughter’ by Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith

Best Original Track

• ‘Blackbird’ by Lisa O'Neill
• 'I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’ by Karine Polwart
• ‘O-U-T Spells Out’ by Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening
• ‘Scapa Flow 1919’ by Kris Drever

Best Album

• Ancora by Flook
• Heard a Long Gone Song by Lisa O’Neill
• Hide and Hair by The Trials of Cato
• SOAR by Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita

Musician of the Year

• Jenn Butterworth
• Mohsen Amini
• Sam Sweeney
• Seckou Keita

For more information, to vote for the Best Album award and to book your tickets to the ceremony, head over to the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards website.