The Folk Album of the Year Award has revealed its first-ever shortlist: nine outstanding albums released in Britain and Ireland in 2025. The artists behind each project range in age, geography, background and style — a vital snapshot of folk’s eclectic community, where traditional storytelling, contemporary composition and cross-genre experimentation sit side by side. While the Award originally intended to nominate eight albums, the shortlist has been extended to nine in response to the remarkable depth in quality of the submissions.
The shortlist includes “All Smiles Tonight” from Dublin’s Poor Creature. Released on Rough Trade’s folk imprint, River Lea, the three-piece’s debut blends spectral textures and subtle electronics, continuing to tread new paths for Irish trad music. You can see the video of the title track below.
At 90 years old, folk legend Peggy Seeger’s philosophical, spirited and bold album “Teleology” also makes the shortlist. She remains a monumental folk icon on both sides of the Atlantic, with countless international awards to her name. Touted to be her final solo album, it’s not only a fitting tribute to an illustrious seven-decade career but also an exceptional record in its own right.
On the other end of the age spectrum, 25-year-old Highland clàrsach player Grace Stewart-Skinner offers her debut in “Auchies Spikkin’ Auchie”. By weaving fisher-folk conversations from her home village of Avoch with new compositions, the album forms an intimate ethnomusicological portrait of place, language and community.
Barry Kerr’s seventh album, “Curlew’s Cry”, gets a nod for its powerful blend of original and traditional material, grounded in Irish folklore, memory, and the natural world. A multi-instrumentalist and award-winning composer, Kerr continues to broaden the expressive possibilities of Irish trad music.
East Belfast’s Joshua Burnside delves into themes of family, trauma and existence on “Teeth of Time”, nominated for its boundary-pushing folk sound that fuses electronica with found-sound collage.
Cynefin, the pseudonym of Welsh musician Owen Shiers, is recognised for breathing new life into farmer traditions of Ceredigion on his second album, “Shimli”. Named after the post-harvest gatherings of rural Wales, the music draws from deeply researched Welsh-language songs, poems and stories that have hummed through the valleys for centuries.
Violinist Owen Spafford and guitarist Louis Campbell are nominated for “Tomorrow Held”. Released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, the album brings a new generational take to English folk music that combines jazz, chamber and folk influences with remarkable fluency.
Six-piece ensemble Gigspanner Big Band gets a nod for their accomplished third album, “Turnstone”, which is described as inventive and richly textured record which blends a deep knowledge of roots traditions with technical brilliance and fearless reinterpretation.
Finally, Zimbabwean-born and UK-based vocalist, bassist and composer Edith WeUtonga is shortlisted for her forthcoming album “Varipasi”, which is out on 9th December 2026. A major figure in Southern African music, her blend of Afro-jazz and traditional Zimbabwean roots enriches the shortlist with a bold and dynamic international perspective.
Each nominated album will be showcased in a nine-part series on Folk on Foot, Matthew Bannister’s podcast, and published daily from 3rd–11th December 2025. You can find it here.
David Agnew, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sound Roots, said: “In our inaugural year, we’ve been bowled over by the incredible breadth of submissions from across Britain and Ireland. As we look ahead, we’re already planning how to celebrate even more exceptional folk releases. For now, we’re excited to present these outstanding works to the world and to gather in Rochdale Town Hall [on 17th March 2026] to celebrate the vibrant folk community.”
The Folk Album Of The Year Award is supported by Rochdale Development Agency and forms a key part of Rochdale’s 2026 Town of Culture celebrations.
