At the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2006 semi-finals Hands Up for Trad started a new award which was in memory of one of our great supporters, David Roberts. The David Roberts Memorial Plate is awarded annually to a promising young traditional musician in Lanarkshire. The inaugural 2006 recipient was Lauren Weir from Lesmahagow (fiddle, piano).
David Roberts was a leading figure in the development and growing success of the Young Traditional Musician Award and tragically died very young on the 1st June 2005. Originally from Edinburgh, David settled in Biggar. From the time of his arrival, he threw himself into community life, and became actively involved in Clydesdale Folk Club, Biggar Business Group and Wiston Lodge. His energy and enthusiasm for life, and for his adopted local area were infectious, and David managed to combine a talent for thinking ‘out of the box’ with a great capacity for getting things done. Our lives are richer for having known David.
Previous winners:
2015: Emma Dickson
2014: Adam Gibb
2013: Hannah Dickson (fiddle)
2012: Imogen Bose-Ward (fiddle, song)
2008: Tom Gold (fiddle)
2007: Jim Gold (accordion)
2006: Lauren Weir (fiddle)
If you know of a young traditional musician in Lanarkshire that deserves this Award please contact us.