RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards nominees announced – featuring Cormac Begley, Junior Brother, Anna Mieke and more

Ahead of the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards ceremony on November 17, the nominations have been unveiled this morning – with Cormac Begley, Junior Brother, Anna Mieke, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Cathal Ó Curráin, Inni-K, Pauline Scanlon, Alannah Thornburgh and Aisling Lyons among those who have been shortlisted across multiple categories.

The nominations feature an impressive selection of both established and emerging artists, including recent Hot Press interviewees. The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award 2022, meanwhile, will be announced on Monday, November 7. Last year's winner of the special award was Christy Moore.

In addition, an artist will be inducted into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame on the night.

See the full list of nominations below:

Best Original Folk Track:
Déanamh Gaineamh / Making Sand – Pádraig Jack
Footnotes On The Map – Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler
Now You See It – Susan O’Neill
Spéir Rua – Síomha
To War – Cormac Begley
Twin – Anna Mieke

Anna Mieke. Credit: Celina Martins

Best Traditional Folk Track:
An Caoineadh – Ceara Conway
Éamonn an Chnoic – Inni-K
Róisín Dubh – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh & the Irish Chamber Orchestra
Rolling in the Barrel / O’Neill’s March / Tralee Jail – Cormac Begley
The Bird in the Bush – Pauline Scanlon
The Bonnie Bunch of Roses – Séamus McGuire & Steve Cooney
Úrchnoc Chéin Mhic Cainte – Cathal Ó Curráin

Best Folk Singer:
Anna Mieke
Cathal Ó Curráin
Clare Sands
Junior Brother
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Pauline Scanlon

Junior Brother at the Button Factory November 2022 copyright Emily Greenberg/hotpress.com

Best Folk Instrumentalist:
Aidan Connolly
Aisling Lyons
Alannah Thornburgh
Bríd Harper
Cormac Begley

Best Folk Group:
Navá
Téada
The Alt
the olllam
The Whileaways
We Banjo 3

Best Folk Album:
B – Cormac Begley
Iníon – Inni-K
Nine Waves – Ye Vagabonds
Róisín Reimagined – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh & the Irish Chamber Orchestra
The Great Irish Famine – Junior Brother

Ye Vagabonds at the RTE Folk Awards 2021. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Best Emerging Artist:
Aisling Lyons
Alannah Thornburgh
Cathal Ó Curráin
Ciara O’Neill
Les SalAmandas

2021's big winners were John Francis Flynn and Ye Vagabonds – with both acts taking home two awards each on the night.

The 2022 ceremony will be once again hosted by RTÉ's John Creedon from 8pm on November 17, at Vicar Street, Dublin. There will be a live broadcast of the show on RTÉ Radio 1, and a highlights programme will be screened on RTÉ One on November 21.

Tickets for the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards are available now. See Ticketmaster for more information.