The very first Scots Trad Music Awards started in Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall on 13th September 2003. Acts performing on the night were Deaf Shepherd, Back of the Moon, Ishbel McAskill, Gordon Duncan, Alasdair MacCuish and the Black Rose Ceilidh Band and Kelso High School Celtic Group.
Below is the preview for the Awards by journalist Kenny Mathieson.
10 Jul 2003
THE NEW Scottish Trad Music Awards aim to celebrate Scotland’s rich musical heritage and in doing so, create a high profile annual event to bring traditional music centre stage. The annual celebration of Scotland’s talent aims to encompass Scotland’s thriving musical culture from Gaelic song, folk, Scottish country-dance, pipe bands and a whole lot more.
Simon Thoumire, Clare McLaughlin and Elspeth Cowie launched the Young Scottish Traditional Musician Award (now called BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award) in 2000 to support and encourage young musicians in the pursuit of a career in traditional music, and to encourage positive media attention on traditional music.
The award has been very successful and is now entering its fourth year. The all-encompassing Scots Trad Music Awards is a natural development, and aims to recognise the best practitioners across the spectrum of musical traditions, and highlight Scotland’s best traditional music to its people and media.
The Awards is an initiative by Hands up for Trad!, a new organisation set up to raise traditional music awareness. The nominations for the various awards were selected by a steering group set up by Hands Up For Trad!, chosen for their interest in and commitment to Scottish traditional music. The first Awards ceremony and concert will take place at The Queens Hall, Edinburgh, on Saturday 13 September, 2003.
The Awards will give everyone a chance to register their own choices among the nominated artists and events (which are sure to prove contentious in themselves, if only because they always do). Highland musicians are certain to feature prominently when the votes are finally tallied ahead of the awards concert in September.
Voting for the awards continues until 8 August 2003.
The Awards are divided into 15 categories, each with four nominations. There is a special tribute category ‘Services to Traditional Music’ which this year will be posthumously awarded to poet and song collector Hamish Henderson, and in future years will be known as The Hamish Henderson Award.
Kenny Mathieson, 2003
Scots Trad Music Awards First Press Release
Hands up for Trad, in association with The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh and BBC Scotland Interactive, are delighted to announce the nominations for the inaugural ‘Scots Trad Music Awards’. The aim of these Awards is to celebrate Scotland’s rich musical heritage and in doing so, create a high profile
annual event to bring traditional music centre stage. The first Awards ceremony and concert will take place at The Queens Hall on Saturday 13th September, 2003. The Awards encompass Scotland’s thriving traditional music scene from Gaelic and Scots song, folk music, Scottish dance to pipe bands and more.
The Awards are divided into15 categories, each with four nominations. The nominees in each category have been chosen by a panel of Scots traditional music experts drawn from across the country. The Award winners will be chosen by popular public vote. Among the many contenders are Highland band Blazin’ Fiddles and Shetland outfit Fiddlers Bid in the ‘Best Live Act’ award and The ‘Media’ award which recognises the journalists, newspapers and magazines writing about traditional music have Rob Adams, Sue Wilson, Living Tradition and Box and Fiddle Magazine as the nominees. There is a special tribute category ‘ Services to Traditional Music’ which this year will be posthumously awarded to poet and song collector Hamish Henderson and in future years will be known as The Hamish Henderson Award. Check out the full list of nominations at www.bbc.co.uk/celticroots.
In these first-ever Scots Trad Music Awards, Hands up for Trad, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Scotland Interactive are encouraging listeners to vote online for their chosen nominees at the Celtic Roots website
Voting ends on Friday 8th August, 2003
Categories are:
Best Album – sponsored by Birnam CD
Best Scots Singer – sponsored by TMSA
Best Gaelic Singer – sponsored by Macmeanmna
Best Instrumentalist – sponsored by Temple Records
Best Scottish Dance Band – sponsored by National Association of Accordion
and Fiddle Clubs
Best Pipe Band – sponsored by The Piping Centre
Best Folk Band
Best Festival – sponsored by Visit Scotland
Best Club – sponsored by Foot Stompin’ Celtic Music
Best Live Act – sponsored by Musicians Union
Best Up and Coming Artist/ Band – sponsored by Sheena Wellington
Radio/TV Show of the Year – sponsored by Foot Stompin’ Celtic Music
Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Highlander Music
Media Award – Sponsored by Greentrax
Services to Traditional Music – Sponsored by Greentrax
If you are wondering why you need to insert your email address (online) to
vote for each category this is to have one vote/one nomination. This has
arisen after BBC Radio 3’s World Music Awards was hijacked by unscrupulous
voting and a category had to be deleted.
2003 Winners
• Best Album: Cliar by Cliar
• Best Scots Singer: Karine Polwart
• Best Gaelic Singer: Karen Matheson
• Best Instrumentalist: Phil Cunningham
• Best Scottish Dance Band: Alasdair MacCuish and the Black Rose Ceilidh Band
• Best Pipeband: Scottish Power
• Best Folk Band: Capercaillie
• Best Festival: Celtic Connections
• Best Club: Shetland Accordion Club
• Best Live Act: Battlefield Band
• Best Up and Coming Artist/Band: Back of the Moon
• Radio/TV Show of the year: Travelling Folk (BBC Radio Scotland)
• Retailer of the year: Coda Music
• Media Award: Living Tradition
• Services to Traditional Music: Hamish Henderson
