Twenty-six-year-old Ali Levack has been announced as the winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award 2020, following a performance on 2 February at Glasgow City Halls. Six finalists performed at the event, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Alba as part of the Celtic Connections festival. watch his winning performance here. 

The prize is a recording session with BBC Scotland, a performance slot at the Scots Trad Music Awards and a one-year membership to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) with the opportunity to take part in the TMSA’s annual Young Trad Tour.

Commenting on the award, Levack said:

It’s such an honour to win – especially in this 20th anniversary year of the competition. Everyone played their hearts out tonight and gave a fantastic performance which has made it such a special night. The competition was tough so I’m a little bit shocked to have won, but utterly thrilled.

The award was established in 2001. Levack was also a finalist in 2018.  Last year’s winner was fiddle player Benedict Morris, who joined the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in September for a BBC Proms in the Park performance. 

The other finalists competing on the night were guitar and mandolin player Calum McIlroy, singer Cameron Nixon, fiddle player Mhairi Mackinnon, accordionist Padruig Morrison and singer Josie Duncan. 

For more, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01sg38m