MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards announced 2021’s diverse Award winners after a record 180,000 public votes, as it returned to Glasgow on BBC ALBA and in front of a live studio audience.
The stellar MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards annual Gala evening champions top Scottish traditional musicians of all genres in a ceremony recognising and celebrating the wealth of talent via phenomenal performances, which this year took place at Glasgow’s Engine Works, and was broadcast on BBC ALBA at 9.00pm, Saturday December 4th, 2021, and streamed live around the world from www.bbc.co.uk/alba
With live music and event restrictions in place since lockdown began, Hands Up for Trad has been working hard since March 2020 to support artists and provide alternative platforms for musicians to reach their audiences, fundraise and sell tickets online.
Following a successful MG ALBA Scots Music Awards exclusively on BBC ALBA in 2020, and the live Scots Language Awards in Dundee on September 25th, 2021, the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in November marks their latest live event since restrictions began.
Encompassing all aspects of making and playing music from composing, Gaelic song, folk and Scottish dance music to pipe bands and a host of others in between, each year sees a lively and enthusiastic crowd enjoying some of the biggest names as the industry and audiences join to honour singers, instrumentalists, composers, and songwriters, including the prestigious Gaelic Singer of the Year, and Musician of the Year, Awards.
Public nominations ran online from October 4th to 17th for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards annual event organised by Hands Up for Trad, and the Public Votes were made online from Tuesday 2nd to 14th November 2021.
The winners of the twelve MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2021 are:
Original Work of the Year sponsored by PRS for Music
Calum MacPhail – 7 Years Old
Community Project of the Year sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Riddell Fiddles’ Two Towns Housing Estate Youth Musical Outreach Programme
Event of the Year sponsored by VisitScotland
Celtic Connections
Gaelic Singer of the Year sponsored by The Highland Society of London
Kim Carnie
Musician of the Year sponsored by The University of the Highlands and Islands
Iona Fyfe
Online Performance of 2021 sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Norrie “Tago” MacIver Live Streams
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association
Ellie Beaton
Trad Video of the Year sponsored by Threads of Sound
Doddies Dream – Bruce MacGregor
Trad Music in the Media sponsored by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Ceòl is Cràdh (Mental health in musicians’ documentary) (BBC ALBA)
Up and Coming Artist of the Year sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
The Canny Band
Music Tutor of the Year Award sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Craig Muirhead, Director of Piping and Drumming at Strathallan School
Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD
Where the World Is Thin by Kris Drever
Within the Awards and the programme, three further pillars of the Scots Trad Music community were recognised through special awards; the ‘Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language Award sponsored by Creative Scotland’, the ‘Services to Gaelic Award’ sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and the ‘Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Traditional Music’.
Organising body, Hands Up for Trad funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, was formed in 2002 and exists to increase the profile and visibility of Scottish traditional music through information, advocacy and education to artists, participants and audiences. Hands Up for Trad’s Creative Director Simon Thoumire said: “I am so thankful to everyone who voted and came out to support our musicians and cultural scene to bring the atmosphere and the 2021 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards into living rooms this year. It’s inspiring and an honour to work with so many determined and creative people and organisations who have continued to find ways to shine a light through such an unprecedented time.”
For information visit www.scotstradmusicawards.com