INVERNESS TO HOST SCOTS TRAD MUSIC AWARDS 2014
The most prestigious awards ceremony in the traditional music calendar, the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, are returning for their 12th consecutive year and bringing the party to Inverness on Saturday 13 December.
After weeks of anticipation and thousands of nominations from the public, the shortlist for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards has been unveiled – honouring Scotland’s best traditional musicians, with some of the biggest names nominated across 16 categories.
The glamorous awards will take place at Inverness Leisure on Saturday 13th December, with tickets available via Eden Court Theatre (www.eden-court.co.uk) or by calling the box office on 01463 234 234.
The public have until Friday 28th November to cast their vote for who they want to see win in each category, including Event of the Year, Album of the Year, Composer of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year, by logging online at www.scotstradmusicawards.com/voting. Winners from each category will be the artist who receives an equal combination of the most industry and fan votes.
Throughout their 12-year history, the awards have continued to showcase the best of Scottish traditional musicians and bands.
Amongst the names to watch this year is Robyn Stapleton, one of the nominees for Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, who gave a beautiful performance at The Commonwealth Games this year, singing the specially commissioned song “Here’s To All Our Common Wealth” as part of the Big Song Relay. Stapleton is also the winner of the 2014 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Music Award.
There are also a number of prominent nominees in this year’s Gaelic Singer of the Year category, including Angus MacLeod and Mischa Macpherson. Macpherson’s folk trio were among the hottest offerings at this year’s ever-popular Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival. Folk group Barluath, nominated in the Up and Coming Artist of the Year category, will join Mischa Macpherson in showing that trad music is increasingly popular with younger generations.
Skerryvore, Skipinnish, Peatbog Faeries and Gavin Marwick’s Journeyman Spectacular will battle it out for the coveted Live Act of the Year award, while Julie Fowlis and Scott Wood Band are amongst the Folk Band of the Year nominees this year.
Event founder and promoter Simon Thoumire says:“We are thrilled to bring the Scots Trad Awards to Inverness to celebrate our 12th year. As a city, Inverness has a great music scene and having just recently hosted The Royal National Mod, we know there is a wealth of support for trad music in the area. This year’s nominees are of such a high calibre and really showcase the burgeoning talent we have in the Scotland’s traditional music scene. We’d like to thank MG ALBA for their continued support of the awards and to Inverness for welcoming us with open arms. We are excited to make this year our biggest and best year yet, so make sure you get your ticket and join in the celebrations on Saturday 13 December.”
For more information, interviews and images, contact Wire Media:
Victoria Irvine| victoria@wire-media.co.uk | 0141 440 6761
Kirsty Atkinson | kirsty@wire-media.co.uk | 0141 440 6761
www.twitter.com/scotstradmusicawards
EDITOR’S NOTES
The Scots Trad Music Awards are produced by Hands up for Trad and supported by:
MG ALBA
MG ALBA is the operating name of SeirbheisnamMeadhananGàidhlig (Gaelic Media Service). MG ALBA works in partnership with the BBC to deliver BBC ALBA. Find out more about MG ALBA and about the partnership at www.mgalba.com or visit www.facebook.com/gaelicmedia or Twitter @gaelicmedia
The Highland Council, Creative Scotland and Glenfiddich, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Fèisean nan Gàidheal
The full shortlist for this year’s MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards:
Album of the Year – Sponsored by Birnam CD
Live at Celtic Connections (Duncan Chisholm)
Heirs and Graces (Adam Holmes)
The Brightest Path (Patsy Reid)
Echoes (Emily Smith)
Club of the Year – Sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS)
Community Project of the Year – Sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Composer of the Year – Sponsored by PRS for Music
Event of the Year – Sponsored by VisitScotland
Struileag – Children of the Smoke
Gaelic Singer of the Year – Sponsored by Macmeanmna
Trad Music in the Media Award – Sponsored by Skipinnish
Hotchkiss Hotchpotch – Celtic Music Radio
Instrumentalist of the Year – Sponsored by Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Live Act of the Year – Sponsored by Greentrax
Gavin Marwick’s Journeyman Spectacular
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year – Sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland
Scottish Dance Band of the Year – Sponsored by the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs
Jack Delaney Scottish Dance Band
Matthew MacLennan Scottish Dance Band
Scottish Folk Band of the Year – Sponsored by Threads of Sound
Pipe Band of the Year – Sponsored by The National Piping Centre
Preston Lodge High School Pipe Band
West Lothian Schools Pipe Band
Inverary and District Pipe Band
Up and Coming Artist of the Year – Sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Music Tutor of the Year – Sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Venue of the Year Award
