The nominations for the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards have been announced, along with the recipient of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award.
At the Folk Awards ceremony on October 25th, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the incomparable Andy Irvine, a much-loved stalwart of the Irish folk world over five decades, as a solo artist and member of bands like Sweeney’s Men, Planxty, Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and Usher's Island, and a true innovator of the form, still forging new musical paths in his seventies.
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Ann-Marie Power Head of Arts and Culture said "We are really delighted to be honouring Andy Irvine at the inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards. For over five decades, Andy has been pushing the boundaries of folk music while also staying fiercely loyal to the Irish tradition. His contribution and influence will be long lauded when the rest of us are long gone".
Next month, Irvine will revisit his seminal 1977 album Andy Irvine/Paul Brady with Brady and longtime cohorts Kevin Burke and Dónal Lunny at Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
The nominations for this year's RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards cover the modern folk spectrum, featuring veterans like Martin Hayes, Cormac Begley and Lúnasa alongside nu-folk supergroup The Gloaming and emerging talents like Lankum, Lisa O'Neill and Ye Vagabonds.
RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards - the nominees
Best Original Folk Track
The Autumn Winds – Niall Hanna
Déanta in Éireann – Lankum
Rosaleen – Mick Flannery
Along the Western Seaboard – Declan O’Rourke
The Granite Gaze – Lankum
Best Traditional Folk Track
Cucanandy – The Gloaming
Bean Dubh A’ Ghleanna – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
What Will We Do When We Have No Money? – Lankum
Lowlands of Holland – Ye Vagabonds
The Bonny Light Horseman – Lúnasa and Natalie Merchant
Folk Singer of the Year
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Iarla Ó Lionáird
Radie Peat
Declan O’Rourke
Lisa O’Neill
Best Emerging Folk Artist
Emma Langford
Niall Hanna
Nava
David Keenan
Ye Vagabonds
Folk Instrumentalist of the Year
Zoë Conway
Seamie O’Dowd
Cormac Begley
Martin Hayes
Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Liam O’Connor
Best Folk Group
The Whileaways
Beoga
Ye Vagabonds
The Lost Brothers
Lankum
The Gloaming
Ruth Smith and John Creedon will host the inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, which take place in Vicar Street on Thursday October 25th - more details here.
