Vocalist Barry Kerr secured two wins at the eighth annual RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards at Dublin’s Vicar Street, rte.ie reported.
Kerr picked up the trophy for Best Original Folk Track with “The Curlew’s Cry” and also claimed the title of Best Folk Singer. John Creedon hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 and the RTÉ Listen app.
Beoga collected the award for Best Folk Group during the celebration of Irish folk music. Macdara Yeates earned Best Traditional Folk Track for “De May Bush.”
Ultan O’Brien took home Best Folk Instrumentalist, while Joshua Burnside won Best Folk Album for It’s Not Going to Be Okay. Rua Rí received the Best Emerging Artist honor.
President Catherine Connolly inducted the late Dolores Keane into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame. Keane passed away in March, and the ceremony celebrated her lasting impact on traditional music.
Tommy Sands received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. Sands earned recognition for a career spanning music, writing, and peace-building through songs like “There Were Roses.” Previous recipients include Dónal Lunny, Mary Black, Christy Moore, and Moya Brennan.
The evening included live performances from Beoga, The Unthanks, Declan O’Rourke, Jillian O’Malley, and Joshua Burnside. Edwina Guckian, Hammy Hamilton, the Ora Quartet, Kris Drever, Noriana Kennedy, Nicola Joyce, and Pauline Scanlon also took the stage.
A television highlights programme will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Saturday, 14 November, according to rte.ie. Listeners can access the full ceremony on demand via the RTÉ Listen app.
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