RT Radio 1 Folk Awards WINNERS Announced

RT RADIO 1 FOLK AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Celebrating the very best in folk music in Ireland from the past year

LANDLESS win Best Folk Group

R OGHNACH CONNOLLY wins Best Folk Singer

JOHN SPILLANE wins Best Folk Album

R IS wins Best Original Folk Track and Best Emerging Artist

D NAL LUNNY receives Lifetime Achievement Award

TV HIGHLIGHTS PROGRAMME, RT One, Saturday 1st March

The winners of the seventh RT Radio 1 Folk Awards were announced in Vicar Street tonight and live on RT Radio 1 in a celebration of the very best in folk music in Ireland from the past year.

Hosted by RT presenter, John Creedon in front of a live audience and on RT Radio 1, the RT Radio 1 Folk Awards delivered another very special night, with great live performances from Damien Dempsey, R is, Seamas Hyland, P lca 4, Niamh Regan, John Spillane, plus five-time Grammy award winner, Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others.

The winners of the seventh RT Radio 1 Folk Awards are:

Best Original Folk Track Caoine by R IS

Nominees

Caoine R IS

Chasing the Hare Alannah Thornburgh

I'm for Gallipoli Fiach Moriarty (feat. Damien Dempsey)

Old Friend Lemoncello

The Good Life Joshua Burnside

Best Traditional Folk Track Welcome Home, Gr inne by Natalie N Chasaide & Iarfhlaith Domhnaill

Nominees

Bean an fhir ruaidh Diane Cannon

Helen of Kirkconnell lea The Half Room

Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye Macdara Yeates

The Rocky Road to Dublin Lankum

Welcome Home, Gr inne Natalie N Chasaide & Iarfhlaith Domhnaill

Best Folk Singer R oghnach Connolly

Nominees

Cathy Jordan

Christy Moore

Macdara Yeates

R oghnach Connolly

Best Folk Instrumentalist Alannah Thornburgh

Nominees

Alannah Thornburgh

Diarmuid Meachair

Macdara Faol in

Sin ad McKenna

Best Folk Group Landless

Nominees

Altan

Cuas

Keane Connolly McGorman

Landless

Best Folk Album F oruisce The Legend of the Lough John Spillane

Nominees

A Terrible Beauty Christy Moore

Crankie Island Song Project Cathy Jordan

F oruisce The Legend of the Lough John Spillane

Keane Connolly McGorman Keane Connolly McGorman (self-titled)

Lemoncello Lemoncello (self-titled)

Best Emerging Artist R IS

Nominees

Cuas

Niamh Bury

R IS

Seamus Hyland

Sin ad McKenna

Hall of Fame R ise Rua

R ise Rua, a renowned singer from rainn Mh r, D n na nGall, was inducted into the RT Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame on the night. Georgina Dudgeon, a relative of R ise Rua who has been involved in promoting and celebrating her great-grand-aunt's legacy, was among the guests of honour at Vicar Street and accepted the award on her behalf.

Lifetime Achievement Award D nal Lunny

D nal Lunny was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RT Radio 1 Folk Awards by Christy Moore. Donal also performed with his new group, D nal Lunny's Darkhorse, as part of the celebrations of his award.

D nal Lunny is one of the most significant figures in folk and traditional music ever to come out of Ireland. His influence as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer has shaped the sound of Irish music for more than half a century.

Head of RT Radio 1 and Member of the 2025 Folk Awards Steering Committee, Peter Woods said: With the change between The Raggle Taggle Gypsy and Tabhair dom do L mh on the Prosperous album and the opening chords of the Kesh Jig on the first Bothy Band recording, D nal Lunny announced and was central to a shift of gear in Irish music. He defined much of the music of a generation at a time when traditional music was not mainstream and was almost subversive.

His contribution to that music through Planxty, to Moving Hearts, Mozaik and of course the Bothies and beyond, sits alongside a career as a producer and collaborator across genres and as a true innovator. D nal has done this without losing sight of the integrity of the music. What he has turned his hand to he has enhanced. It is a real honour for RT Radio 1 to be associated with this award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually by the Executive Steering Committee of the RT Radio 1 Folk Awards to a living artist who has made a significant contribution to Irish folk music over many years. As this year's recipient, D nal joins a distinguished list of Lifetime Achievement recipients, Tr ona N Dhomhnaill (2024), Mary Black (2022), Christy Moore (2021), Steve Cooney (2020), Moya Brennan (2019) and Andy Irvine (2018).

TV highlights programme on RT One and RT Player

If you missed the awards, or you want to relive then, don't forget to watch our television highlights programme which will air on RT One and RT Player on Saturday 1st March 2024.

ENDS

For information: Neil O'Gorman, RT | neil.ogorman@rte.ie

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2021/11/17/rte-radio-1-folk-awards-winners-announ...
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