Over the weekend (4th December), The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards were held at Glasgow’s Engine Works and broadcast live on BBC ALBA.
Among the winners were some Folk Radio favourites we have covered extensively in the past:
Kim Carnie picked up Gaelic Singer of the Year. We have also today shared the news of her crowdfunding campaign for her debut album “And So We Gather”, which features over 40 artists, including Julie Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes, Karen Matheson and Clockwork Sessions Orchestra (read more here). Kim is also a member of Mànran, whose latest album Ùrar, was one of our Featured Albums of the Month (reviewed here) and Staran, whose debut album was reviewed here.
Iona Fyfe picked up Musician of the Year. Iona has continued to bring her music to wider audiences and has also proven to be a fierce advocate for the official recognition of the Scots Language, leading a successful campaign to pressure Spotify into recognising Scots. Spotify have now added Scots to its list of languages that artists can select from when submitting music. She has also collaborated with others, including the likes of HAV, on their single ‘The Alabama‘. She has a new single out later this month on 20th December with a Scots translation of Richard Thompson’s Poor Ditching Boy. Pre-save it here.
Kris Drever picked up Album of the Year for “Where The World Is Thin“, which we reviewed here. In his review of the album, Billy Rough concludes:
Themes of memory, resilience, fragility, and longing filter through the album, ensuring a somewhat ephemeral and reflective recording. Drever’s voice and delivery is as idiosyncratic and rich as ever. His sincere Scottish brogue is never mannered, always effortlessly natural. Where The World Is Thin is a charming album. Confident and mature in its content, and beautifully performed. A fine treat as the nights draw in.
Kris is on tour now, details here: https://www.krisdrever.com/
Below, you can find the full list of winners. The televised award ceremony is available to watch for BBC iPlayer for 28 Days from broadcast here.
The winners of the twelve MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2021 are:
Original Work of the Year sponsored by PRS for Music
Calum MacPhail – 7 Years Old
Community Project of the Year sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Riddell Fiddles’ Two Towns Housing Estate Youth Musical Outreach Programme
Event of the Year sponsored by VisitScotland
Celtic Connections
Gaelic Singer of the Year sponsored by The Highland Society of London
Kim Carnie
Musician of the Year sponsored by The University of the Highlands and Islands
Iona Fyfe
Online Performance of 2021 sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Norrie “Tago” MacIver Live Streams
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association
Ellie Beaton
Trad Video of the Year sponsored by Threads of Sound
Doddies Dream – Bruce MacGregor
Trad Music in the Media sponsored by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Ceòl is Cràdh (Mental health in musicians’ documentary) (BBC ALBA)
Up and Coming Artist of the Year sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
The Canny Band
Music Tutor of the Year Award sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Craig Muirhead, Director of Piping and Drumming at Strathallan School
Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD
Where the World Is Thin by Kris Drever
More details here: https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/scotstradmusicawards/