Tickets are on sale and public voting is open for the annual MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Dundee.
The ceremony – the first full sized awards event post lockdown – takes place live at the Caird Hall on December 4.
The annual gala, which champions top Scottish traditional musicians of all genres, recognising, and celebrating the wealth of talent, will also be broadcast on BBC ALBA.
The awards will feature live performances from Elephant Sessions, FARA, Trip, the Eryn Rae Trio (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award Winner 2022), the Gordon Shand Scottish Dance Band, The Auldeners, St Roch’s Irish Minstrels and Tayside Young Fiddlers, plus a tribute to James Alexander, Fochabers fiddle teacher and performer, from his former pupils.
‘Always a pleasure’
Margaret Cameron, director of content at MG ALBA said: “It is always a pleasure to see the incredible wealth of talent we have in the world of Scottish traditional music showcased on BBC ALBA, and there are few nights better than Na Trads for doing just that. The 20th anniversary celebration will be a night to remember.”
Ealasaid MacDonald, director of strategy and external affairs at MG ALBA, said: “MG ALBA are extremely proud to sponsor these awards, and we cannot wait to attend the first post lockdown event to celebrate 20 spectacular years of Na Trads.
“It’s been a very difficult couple of years for the music industry in Scotland and that’s what makes this recognition for all the impressive innovation and collaboration all the more important.”
Organiser and awards founder Simon Thoumire of Hands Up For Trad said: “In difficult times bands are getting back out on the road and filling venues across the world, bringing joy to people, and it’s great to be back to celebrate this and showcase all the work that has been taking place to fill people’s lives with music, whilst also remembering that we need to support our clubs and venues.”
Full list of nominees
The 27 awards, shortlisted nominees and sponsors are:
*Club of The Year, sponsored by the Fraser Shaw Trust – Aberdeen Folk Club, Ardersier International Folk Club, Kirkcaldy Acoustic Music Club, Milngavie Folk Club and Tchai-Ovna House of Tea – Tea and a Tune.
*Event of the Year, sponsored by VisitScotland – Braemar Folk Festival, HebCelt (Lewis), Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival, Piping Live (Glasgow), Shetland Folk Festival and Speyfest.
*Venue of the Year, sponsored by Musicians’  Union – Knoydart Community Hall, Perth Concert Hall, The Tolbooth, Stirling and Universal Hall, Findhorn.
*Live Act of the Year, sponsored by Greentrax Recordings – Elephant Sessions, MĂ nran, Skerryvore, Talisk and Trail West.
*Music Tutor of the Year, sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative – Charlie Mckerron, Heather Downie, Ron Jappy, Ross Miller and Sally Simpson.
*Gaelic Singer of the Year, sponsored by The Highland Society of London – Anne Martin, Fiona Mackenzie (Dingwall), Marcas Mac an Tuaimeir and Ruairidh Grey.
*Album of The Year, sponsored by Birnam CD – For The Night by Elephant Sessions, DAWN by Talisk, And So We Gather by Kim Carnie, Energy Islands by Fara, Bloom by Siobhan Miller, A Drop for Neptune by TRIP, To Have You Near by Hannah Rarity, We Have Won The Land by Rory Matheson & Graham Rorie, Las by Brighde Chaimbeul, Ross Ainslie & Steven Byrnes, Still As Your Sleeping by Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan.
*Scottish Folk Band of the Year, sponsored by Threads of Sound – Breabach, Dallahan, Eabhal, Fara and Kinnaris Quintet.
*Scottish Pipe Band of the Year, sponsored by the National Piping Centre – Inveraray and District Pipe Band, Kilchoman Distillery Isle of Islay Pipe Band, National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and St Columba’s School Pipe Band.
*Up & Coming Artist of the Year, sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – Isla Ratcliffe, Lewis McLaughlin, Malin Lewis, Roo Geddes & Neil Sutcliffe, Sarah Markey, Valtos.
*Community Music Project of the Year, sponsored by Innes & Campbell Communications – Isle of Arran Music School, SC&T Youth (Aberdeen), Seachdain na Fèise // Fèis Week 2022 (Paisley) and The Folks’ Music Project CIC (Neilston).
*Scottish Dance Band of the Year, sponsored by the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs – Â Alan Crookston Band, MĂ rtainn Skene Dance Band, Kirkjuvagr Ceilidh Band, Leonard Brown All Star Band.
*Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association (TMSA) – Alastair McDonald, Beth Malcolm, Scott Gardiner, Shona Donaldson.
*Trad Video of the Year – Anyone but You by Josie Duncan, DLĂ™ – BrĂ ighe Loch Iall, Magnus Graham & Niteworks — John Riley (feat. Beth Malcolm), Reels – Tiernan Courell and She Moves Me by Kim Carnie.
*Composer of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music – James Duncan MacKenzie, Mohsen Amini, Rachel Newton, Lauren MacColl (Heal & Harrow) and Tina Jordan Rees.
*Services to Gaelic, sponsored by Bòrd na GĂ idhlig – To be announced on the night.
*Original Work of the Year, sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust – Ally Forsyth – Summer EP, An Dannsa Dub E.P, Talamh Beò – Living Land, commissioned by Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership Scheme, Tiernan Courell Music “How’s About Now” EP.
*Trad Music in the Media, sponsored by Skipinnish  –  Gavin Paterson Celtic Music Radio, Heading West: a story about a band called Shooglenifty, Tartan Tunes, The Big Rab Show, The Folk River: Tales from the Early Scottish Folk Scene by Fraser Bruce.
*Musician of the Year, sponsored by the University of the Highlands and Islands – Andrew Waite, Brighde Chaimbeul, John McCusker, Megan Henderson and Ryan Young.
*The Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Awards, sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) – To be announced on the night.
*The Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language, sponsored by Creative Scotland – Anne Donovan.
Production award nominees
The Hands Up for Trad Production Awards:
*Studio Engineer of the Year – Andrea Gobbi (GloWorm Recording), Barry Reid (Rose Croft Studio), Chris Waite (Gran’s House) and Keith Morrison (Wee Studio).
*Lighting Designer of the Year – Andy Stephen, Gary Ebdy, Lunas Live Ltd, Greig Shankland, Rob Alexander.
*Recording Studio of the Year – GloWorm Recording (Glasgow), Gorbals Sound (Glasgow), Gran’s House (Lamington) mand Watercolour Music (Ardgour).
*Music Producer of the Year – Anna Massie, Duncan Lyall, Euan Burton and Inge Thomsen.
*Live Sound Engineer of the Year – Carla Feuerstein, Keir Long, Kev O’Neill, Scott Turnbull.
*Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame Award sponsored by Fèisean nan GĂ idheal – To be announced on the night.
Tickets and how to vote
Details of tickets and how to vote can be accessed via www.handsup.link/tradawardstickets.
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