Nominees for RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards announced

The nominees of this year's RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced at Vicar Street on November 10, with the event aired live on RTÉ Radio 1.

Live performances will be given on the night by Beoga, The Unthanks, Declan O’Rourke, Jillian O’Malley, Joshua Burnside, Hammy Hamilton & the Ora Quartet and more.

Tommy Sands, a folk singer-songwriter, radio broadcaster and activist, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The County Down native toured with his siblings as the Sands Family in his youth, introducing foreign countries to Irish traditional music. An advocate for peace, his music has addressed the unrest in his native Northern Ireland, including the track 'There Were Roses', which mourns the death of two of his friends during the Troubles.

Dolores Keane will be posthumously inducted into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame. The singer is considered a key representative of Irish folk and traditional music. Raised by her sean-nós singing aunts, she was a founding member of Dé Dannan.

In the category Best Original Folk Track, the nominees are Clare Sands for her song 'Anam Cara', Dove Ellis for 'Heaven Has No Wings', Rua Rí for 'Johnny Workman', Barry Kerr for 'The Curlew's Cry' and Lisa O'Neill for her song 'The Wind Doesn't Blow This Far Right'.

Rua Rí is also nominated for the title of Best Emerging Artist, along with Ellie O'Neill, The Railway Boys and Leevy.

For Best Traditional folk track, the nominees are The Railway Boys with their track 'Amhrán na Scadán', Tríona & Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill with 'Cad É Sin Don Té Sin', Rattling Ark with 'Coleraine Jig', Macdara Yeates with 'De May Bush', Cormac Begley & Liam O'Connor with 'Ryan's Rant' and Damien Dempsey for his song 'The Mickey Dam'.

The contenders for Best Folk Singer are Barry Kerr, Clare Sands, Joshua Burnside, Lisa O'Neill, and Macdara Yeates.

The nominees for Best Folk Instrumentalist are Caroline Keane, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, Jack Talty, Seán McKeon, and Altan O'Brien.

For Best Folk Group, An Chéad Ghlúin Eile compete with Beoga, Lemoncello, Poor Creature, and Ye Vagabonds.

In the category Best Folk Album, the nominated are An Bhearna Bhán by Jillian O'Malley, Caillte Sa Cheol by Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, Curlew's Cry by Barry Kerr, Ithaca by lullahush, It's Not Going To Be Okay by Joshua Burnside, and Beoga's Phases.

Tickets to the event are available here.