As part of the celebrations for Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, the fourth Trad Music Awards will be held at the Nevis Centre in Fort William from 1st-3rd December 2006. This popular ceremony will take place on evening of Saturday 2nd December and be hosted by Mary Ann Kennedy and Stuart Cassells.

The Awards will this year, for the first time, include other events throughout the weekend as well as the ceremony on Saturday night. These include a live recording of Robbie Shepherd’s Take The Floor and a live broadcast of Reel Session for BBC Radio Scotland. During the day on Saturday 2nd December there will be a series of workshops and sessions. There will also be a Trad Music Awards Club at the Alexandria Hotel.

The winners of the Trad Music Awards are voted for by the public rather than a ‘selection committee’. Voting on the shortlist will run from 1st –24th November. Postal voting forms are available from PO Box 8774, Biggar ML12 6WZ or downloadable from www.handsupfortrad.co.uk  and online voting in conjunction with BBC Scotland’s Celtic Roots website (www.bbc.co.uk/celticroots ).

There will be live performances from Peatbog Faeries, Julie Fowlis, Gordon Duncan Tribute (with Stuart Cassells), Shona Mooney Band, Gordon Shand Dance Band, Ceol Mor, Lori Watson 3, Feis Lochaber, TMSA 40th Celebrations and Jim Reid.

Director of the Trad Music Awards, Simon Thoumire says “It's great to see the Scottish trad music scene in such a great state with loads of young performers coming through. Nearly all the acts shortlisted have spent much of the past year touring extensively - in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK and for many all around the world as well. Live performance is the life blood of trad music and it's great to see that it is as popular as ever”.

As well as the Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Traditional Music there will be eight performers inducted into the Hall of Fame, including Jeannie Robertson and Jimmy Shand post-humously. This year will see a new award – The Strathspey & Reel Society of the Year.

Tickets, priced £20 & £15, are on sale from 2nd October and available at 0131 208 3089 or www.handsupfortrad.co.uk

For further information contact: Fiona Duff/Natalie Biggs, Duff Publicity 0131 558 1199
www.handsupfortrad.co.uk


TRAD MUSIC AWARDS 2006 - SHORTLIST


Album of the Year
Black Water (Kris Drever)
Heart of America (Donnie Munro)
Og-mhadainn Shamhraidh (Summer Dawn)
Scribbled in Chalk (Karine Polwart)

Club of the Year
Leith Folk Club
Lewis and Harris Accordian & Fiddle Club
Partick Folk Club
Wick Accordian and Fiddle Club

Community Project of the Year
Feisean nan Gaidheal
Kennoway Classes
Orkney Traditional Music Project
Sangschule

Composer of the Year
Aidan O’Rourke
Donald Shaw
Eddie McGuire
Karine Polwart

Event of the Year
Blas
Mull of Kintyre Music Festival
Scots Fiddle Festival
World Pipe Band Championships

Gaelic Singer of the Year
Calum Alex McMillan
Fiona McKenzie
Kathleen MacInnes
Rachel Walker

Services to Industry Award
Davie Gardner (Shetland)
Jean Urquhart (The Ceilidh Place)
Johnny Mowat (Orkney Folk Festival)
Tradmusic.com

Instrumentalist of the Year
Aidan O’Rourke
Catriona McKay
Iain MacDonald
Jennifer Wilson

Live Act of the Year
Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain
Salsa Celtica
The McCalmans
The Vatersay Boys

Scots Singer of the year
Joe Aitken
Steve Byrne
Sylvia Barnes
Tom Spiers

Scottish Dance Band of the Year
Bobby Brown and Scottish Accent
John Carmichael Ceilidh Band
Marian Anderson Scottish Dance Band
Skerryvore

Scottish Folk Band of the Year
Angus Lyon & Ruaridh Campbell
Anna Massie Band
Dochas
Shepheard Spiers & Watson

Scottish Pipe Band of the Year
Inveraray & District Pipe Band
Strathclyde Police
Kintyre Schools
Tayside Police

Up & Coming Artist of the Year
Breabach
Jenna Cumming
Sandy Meldrum
Stuart Cassells

Strathspey & Reel Society of the Year
Banchory Strathspey and Reel Society
Elgin Strathspey and Reel Society
Glasgow Caledonian Strathspey and Reels Society
Lothia Schools Strathspey and Reels Society

McEwans Sessions Venue of the Year
Craigie Inn, Craigie
Fountain Inn, Aberfeldy
Furnace Inn, Inveraray
The Lismore, Glasgow