RTÉ Radio 1 has today (22 January) announced the shortlist for the 2024 Folk Awards, with Lankum, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Síle Denvir, Lisa O’Neill and Bláth na hÓige among the nominees.

The awards will take place at Vicar Street on 27 February with performances from Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Bury, Bláth na hÓige, Johnny McEvoy, Rhiannon Giddens and more, and the event will also be broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by John Creedon.

There are seven awards categories. Among the nominees in the Best Folk Album category are John Francis Flynn’s Look Over The Wall, See The Sky, Bláth na hÓige’s debut, Lisa O’Neill’s All Of This Is Chance, Double You by fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain and Welsh harper Catrin Finch, and Lankum’s False Lankum.

Lankum are also nominated in the Best Traditional Folk Track category for ‘Go Dig My Grave’, as are Piaras Ó Lorcáin and Bláth na hÓige for ‘Seán Gabha’, Síle Denvir for ‘Eileanóir a Rún’ from her album Anamnesis, Diane Cannon for ‘Amhrán Pheadar Breathnach’, and Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta for ‘Eileanór na Rún’.

Lisa O’Neill and Denvir are nominated for Best Folk Singer along with Anna Mieke, Daoirí Farrell, Diane Cannon and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin.

The Best Folk Instrumentalist shortlist includes Aoife Ní Bhriain, accordion and melodeon player Diarmuid Ó Meachair, flute and pipes player Michael McGoldrick, harper Michelle Mulcahy and fiddle player Sorcha Costello, who recently released her debut album The Primrose Lass.

Costello and Ó Meachair also feature in the Best Emerging Artist category with Cinder Well, Niamh Bury, Piaras Ó Lorcáin, and Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta.

As well as the seven award categories, uilleann piper and collector Séamus Ennis will be inducted into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame at the awards event, and his son Christopher Ennis will be in attendance.

The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award winner will be announced in early February.

For the full list of nominees, see below. Tickets for the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards are available now from www.ticketmaster.ie.

Best Original Folk Track
Abigail (Tomhas Ghobnatan) – Emma Langford
Anáil na hOíche – Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin
Glory Days – Steo Wall
Níl Aon Easpa Orm – Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Myles O’Reilly
Not Your Fight – The Henry Girls and Ríoghnach Connolly
Old Note – Lisa O’Neill
(2022 winner: Now You See It – Susan O’Neill) 

Best Traditional Folk Track
Amhrán Pheadar Breathnach – Diane Cannon
Eileanóir a Rún – Síle Denvir
Eileanór na Rún – Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta
Go Dig My Grave – Lankum
Seán Gabha – Piaras Ó Lorcáin and Bláth na hÓige
(2022 winner: Róisín Dubh – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and the Irish Chamber Orchestra) 

Best Folk Singer
Anna Mieke
Daoirí Farrell
Diane Cannon
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin
Lisa O’Neill
Síle Denvir
(2022 winner: Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh) 

Best Folk Instrumentalist
Aoife Ní Bhriain
Diarmuid Ó Meachair
Michael McGoldrick
Michelle Mulcahy
Sorcha Costello
(2022 winner: Cormac Begley) 

Best Folk Group
Bláth na hÓige
Garadice
Lankum
Martin Hayes and the Common Ground Ensemble
The Mary Wallopers
ØXN
(2022 winner: the olllam)  

Best Folk Album
All Of This Is Chance – Lisa O’Neill
Bláth na hÓige – Bláth na hÓige
Double You – Aoife Ní Bhriain and Catrin Finch
False Lankum – Lankum
Look Over The Wall, See The Sky – John Francis Flynn
(2022 winner – Nine Waves – Ye Vagabonds

Best Emerging Artist
Cinder Well
Diarmuid Ó Meachair
Niamh Bury
Piaras Ó Lorcáin
Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta
Sorcha Costello
(2022 winner: Cathal Ó Curráin) 

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