A brand-new celebration of folk music excellence has arrived. The Folk Album of the Year Award has unveiled its inaugural shortlist, honouring nine remarkable albums released across Britain and Ireland in 2025 — a vibrant snapshot of the scene’s creativity, diversity and boundary-pushing artistry.

A landmark moment for folk music

The Folk Album of the Year Award has released its first-ever shortlist, marking an exciting new chapter for the folk community. Selected from an extraordinary 146 submissions, the nine nominated albums highlight a scene defined by innovation as much as tradition. Spanning generations, regions and artistic approaches, this debut shortlist positions the Award as a major new platform for recognising outstanding contributions to the folk, roots and acoustic worlds.

Inspired by the Mercury Prize model, the Award celebrates albums of exceptional artistic merit. Its jury, a panel of respected performers, broadcasters, writers and industry figures, chose to expand the initial planned shortlist of eight to nine, citing the remarkable depth and quality of this year’s entries.

The nine nominated albums

All Smiles Tonight – Poor Creature
Dublin trio Poor Creature earn a place on the shortlist with their debut album All Smiles Tonight. Released on Rough Trade’s River Lea imprint, the record blends spectral textures and subtle electronics, forging bold new possibilities for Irish traditional music.

Teleology – Peggy Seeger
At 90 years old, iconic folk musician Peggy Seeger is shortlisted for Teleology — a philosophical, spirited and deeply personal album widely considered her final solo release. It stands as both a reflection on her seven-decade career and a powerful work in its own right.

Auchies Spikkin´ Auchie – Grace Stewart Skinner
Highland clàrsach player Grace Stewart-Skinner is recognised for her extraordinary debut Auchies Spikkin´ Auchie, weaving conversations from her Avoch fishing community with newly composed material to create a vivid musical portrait of place, language and tradition.

Curlew’s Cry – Barry Kerr
Barry Kerr’s Curlew’s Cry is celebrated for its powerful blend of original and traditional content rooted in Irish folklore, memory and the natural world. The multi-instrumentalist and composer continues to push the expressive boundaries of Irish trad.

Teeth of Time – Joshua Burnside
East Belfast songwriter Joshua Burnside is shortlisted for Teeth of Time, a boundary-stretching exploration of family, trauma and existence shaped through electronica, found-sound collage and distinctive folk songwriting.

Shimli – Cynefin
Owen Shiers, working under the name Cynefin, earns recognition for Shimli. Drawing from centuries-old Welsh-language songs, stories and poems, the album revives the farmer traditions of Ceredigion with great care and research.

Tomorrow Held – Spafford Campbell
London-based instrumental duo Spafford Campbell — violinist Owen Spafford and guitarist Louis Campbell — are shortlisted for their debut Tomorrow Held. Released on Real World Records, it blends chamber, jazz and folk influences with striking finesse.

Turnstone – Gigspanner Big Band
The accomplished six-piece Gigspanner Big Band receive a nomination for Turnstone, a richly textured and inventive album combining deep roots knowledge with technical brilliance and bold reinterpretation.

Varipasi – Edith WeUtonga
Zimbabwean-born, UK-based vocalist, bassist and composer Edith WeUtonga rounds out the shortlist with Varipasi (out 9 December). Her fusion of Afro-jazz and traditional Zimbabwean roots adds a powerful international dimension to the line-up.

Celebrating a vibrant year for folk

The Award is presented by Sound Roots in collaboration with Folk on Foot. Jury Chair Kellie While highlighted the “vibrant and exciting” year for folk music represented by the nine albums, while Folk on Foot founder Matthew Bannister praised the breadth of ages, backgrounds and styles showcased.

The overall winner will be announced on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at a ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall, performed in front of an invited audience of 200 artists and industry professionals, with a livestream available to viewers worldwide.

Don’t miss a moment of the Folk Album of the Year Award

From news to performances and the live 2026 ceremony.

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