THE winners of the seventh RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards were announced in Vicar Street, Dublin this week in a celebration of the very best in folk and traditional music in Ireland from the past year.
Hosted by RTÉ presenter, John Creedon ithe RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards featured live performances from Damien Dempsey, Róis, Seamas Hyland, Pólca 4, Niamh Regan, John Spillane, plus five-time Grammy award winner, Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others.
The winners of the seventh RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards are:
Best Original Folk Track - Caoine by RÓIS
Best Traditional Folk Track - Welcome Home, Gráinne by Natalie Ní Chasaide & Iarfhlaith Ó Domhnaill
Best Folk Singer - Ríoghnach Connolly
Best Folk Instrumentalist - Alannah Thornburgh
Best Folk Group - Landless
Best Folk Album – Fíoruisce: The Legend of the Lough - John Spillane
Best Emerging Artist - RÓIS
Róise Rua, a renowned singer from Árainn Mhór, Dún na nGall, was inducted into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame. Georgina Dudgeon, a relative of Róise 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 - Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards by Christy Moore. Donal also performed with his new group, Dónal Lunny’s Darkhorse, as part of the celebrations of his award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually by the Executive Steering Committee of the RTÉ 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, Dónal joins a distinguished list of Lifetime Achievement recipients, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (2024), Mary Black (2022), Christy Moore (2021), Steve Cooney (2020), Moya Brennan (2019) and Andy Irvine (2018).
See More: Folk, Music, Traditional
