The last time the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards were held in the city of Inverness was ten years ago. It was an especially memorable event for us as we (under our old name of Folk Radio) had been shortlisted in the category -of ‘Trad Music in the media’ in recognition of presenting Scottish traditional music well. I’ve very fond memories of that unforgettable evening which felt more like an end-of-year party for everyone on the Scots Trad music scene – it was quite unlike any other award ceremony I’ve been to since. This year, the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards will return to Inverness on Saturday, 30th November, to once again celebrate and showcase Scotland’s flourishing traditional music scene.
While the BBC appear to have gone quiet about their once annual Folk Awards, the last one being in 2019, the Scots Trad Music Awards are still going strong after 24 years thanks to its creators, Hands Up For Trad, who continue to promote both traditional music and culture through talent development, education and advocacy.
Fittingly held on St. Andrew’s Day, tickets for the much-anticipated event at Inverness Leisure Centre are on sale now and nominations across the event’s 21 categories are open from Monday 30th September.
The event was last held in Inverness in 2014 and makes a welcome return to the Highland capital for its 2024 edition for what is set to be a true celebration of the stand-out stars of Scotland’s homegrown music scene over the last 12 months.
The ceremony’s return to the Highlands is made possible with funding and support from Creative Scotland, Inverness Common Good Fund, Highland Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Scottish Government and MG ALBA. Category sponsors include VisitScotland, PRS for Music, Youth Music Initiative and the Highland Society of London.
The event will also be marked with the introduction of a special new award. The Gaisgeach na Gàidhealtachd, which means Hero of the Highlands, award will be bestowed upon a notable local organisation or figure who has made an invaluable contribution to Highland cultural life.
An outstanding lineup of talent is set to take to the stage over the course of the evening, with audiences treated to performances from an array of huge names including the Hebridean-born and Highland-based singer and musician Julie Fowlis and her band, whose award-winning talent is recognised the world over. In case you missed it, read our review of Highlands which features Julie, Ewen Henderson and others.
The event will be a family affair for Julie as her daughter Aoibhe Doorley joins the talented line up of Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers also putting on a fantastic performance for Inverness audiences.
Skipinnish will take to the stage also, rounding off their 25th anniversary year in a fitting fashion. Their multi-award-winning powerhouse Celtic sound has seen them play legendary venues like Edinburgh Castle in recent months.
Performances will also come from BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2024 Calum McIlroy, party-starters An Dannsa Dub, the inimitable duo of Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, and Aberdeenshire folk star Ellie Beaton.
Julie Fowlis said: “Hands Up for Trad have been championing traditional Scottish music for years now, and the awards play a pivotal role showcasing all the exciting work that is being done by artists throughout the country and beyond. It feels more important now than ever to continue to highlight the importance and value of the traditional arts in Scotland.
“It is an opportunity to thank not just the performers and artists that you see on stage and on screen – but to showcase the teachers, tradition bearers, organisations, engineers and writers that work tirelessly behind the scenes. It’s a celebration of the entire scene and I’m delighted to see the Awards come to the Highlands this year.”
Over the course of the evening, the best of the best from all areas of the industry recognised and celebrated for their contributions to the traditional music sphere. Following next week’s nominations, voting for the awards will open to the public on 28th October, and all the winners will be announced on the night.
Categories include Album of the Year, Musician of the Year, Scottish Pipe Band, Up and Coming Artist, Venue of the Year, Community Project of the Year, Music Tutor of the Year, Photographer of the Year, and Venue Technician of the Year.
Scots Trad Music Awards organiser Simon Thoumire said: “There is no better date to be celebrating the very best in our Scottish traditional music scene than St. Andrew’s Day and no better location than the capital of the Highlands, Inverness.
“We can’t wait to return and shine a spotlight on the industry’s best and brightest from the past year, as the scene continues to weather a difficult cultural landscape and grow in popularity. I would like to express how grateful we are for the support of Creative Scotland, MG ALBA, Highland Council, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Scottish Government and all of our category sponsors, for their recognition of the value the awards bring to the sector and host region – what we do wouldn’t be possible without their contributions.
“We’re thrilled to share the jam-packed lineup of talent performing at this year’s ceremony, as well as to launch tickets for the event. Na Trads, as they are affectionately known, are an unmatched opportunity for fans of traditional music to be part of the genre’s biggest celebration, and to see its stars perform live and be awarded for their outstanding contributions. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to Inverness Leisure Centre this November.”
Leader of The Highland Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner said: “I am absolutely delighted that this prestigious event in the calendar of Scottish and Traditional Music is coming to Highland. Not only will it showcase the very best of traditional talent from across the country, for Highland artists this will mean a great deal to have the ceremony once again on our own doorstep. It will also be a welcome boost to local businesses, hotels, and restaurants.”
Chair of Highland Council’s Gaelic Committee, Cllr Calum Munro added: “It is an absolute pleasure to be hosting the Scots Trad Music Awards again in Highland since they were last here a decade ago. I am very pleased that the Council’s Gaelic Team has been able to secure funding from the UK Shared Prosperity, Inverness Common Good Fund and the Scottish Government to enable hosting this key event in Inverness and I look forward to hearing the entrants perform at the awards event.”
Siobhan Anderson, Music Officer at Creative Scotland said: “The Trad Awards are always a joyous occasion and an excellent opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s traditional music. The event represents a chance to honour the winners, but also highlights the breadth of talent, experience and hard work across the whole of the sector from the public nominations process through to the finalists in each category. Creative Scotland is proud to support the awards and it’s great to see them return to Inverness.”
MG ALBA Director of Content, Margaret Cameron said: “Once again Hands Up For Trad have pulled together an amazing array of talent for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in Inverness. For lots of reasons MG ALBA is proud to be the title sponsor of the awards, not least because it’s a tangible sign of our respect for the traditional musicians who regularly contribute to BBC ALBA through our music programmes. We look forward to a wonderful showcase of talent on the night, celebrating the winners and making it available live to audiences on BBC ALBA.”
Stuart Fleming, Senior Manager – Writer Relations, Northern Ireland & Scotland, PRS for Music, said: “The important work carried out by Hands Up for Trad ensures our talented writer and composer community within the Scottish traditional music scene is championed every year. We are proud to continue our support of this vital platform, which showcases Scotland’s rich musical culture to a global audience, and look forward to celebrating all the nominees and winners at this year’s Scots Trad Music Awards.”
The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards will take place at Inverness Leisure Centre on St. Andrew’s Day, Saturday 30th November 2024. The awards will be broadcast on BBC ALBA from 9pm.
Tickets are on sale now at https://tickets.highlifehighland.com/events/highlifehighland/1374627. Nominations will open Monday 30th September until Sunday 13th October at projects.handsupfortrad.scot/scotstradmusicawards.