MG ALBA is one of the ‘Best Places to Work’ in television, according to one of the industry’s leading publications.
For a fourth consecutive year, Broadcast Magazine has named the key partner behind BBC ALBA as one of the top 30 TV companies across the UK.
The Gaelic broadcast service employs 34 staff across sites in Stornoway, Inverness and Glasgow.
The shortlist is compiled through independent research carried out by the magazine, with senior management and staff members at companies across the UK who are asked to give their views about their own organisation and its culture.
Their feedback is then measured against a series of established benchmarks.
MG ALBA is also heavily committed to offering young Gaelic speakers the opportunity to build a career in the creative industries.
Its summer internship programme provides a rich range of experiences, whilst FilmG affords emerging young talent an opportunity to shine on a national stage.
This approach has also been recognised with the award of a Gold Investors in Young People accreditation, and a Silver Investors in People status. Both represent a ‘step up’ from previous assessments, reflecting the company’s growing approach to supporting people.
MG ALBA Chief Executive Donald Campbell says:
“I am delighted that we’ve again been recognised as one of the industry standard bearers for the working environment we have created at MG ALBA.
“Our flexible approach for staff helps everyone. From condensed hours, term time working, or part-time, we aim to work with our colleagues to find solutions which work, and reflect modern-life in Scotland, and the broadcast sector. Staff can also take unpaid leave to take part in creative projects. This allows them to gain new experiences, which is ultimately rewarding for us, as well as them.
“We also provide a range of benefits such as corporate gym membership, community events, the opportunity to attend key events, and an annual away day. It is, however, about more than that. For me, it is about the culture we have created within the organisation. We value our people, and we want to hold on to our best talent, but we are only able to do that by creating an environment where people love to come to work.”
Abigail MacIver (18-year-old) former summer placement student is now working for MG ALBA. She says:
“I have always wanted to do something that involved working within media or TV and this summer placement gave me a taste of the different areas MG ALBA is involved in. I love working here. It has been a great experience. Everyone wants you to do well they are always trying to help you. It is a really great working environment.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP comments:
“My congratulations to MG ALBA for their recognition as a great employer with these awards.
“We recognise the cultural, economic, educational, health and social benefits that Gaelic language and culture brings to the whole of Scotland. That’s why we want to increase the number of users of the language while increasing opportunities to use it in everyday situations.
“Broadcasting Gaelic-speaking film and television is vital to ensure its continuation at the heart of our cultural identity.”
Mary Leishman, Investors in Young People assessor comments:
“MG ALBA have for the past ten years recruited, trained and developed young people to a very high standard and given them opportunities to develop their careers in Gaelic media. They thoroughly deserve to have achieved the Gold Standard of the Investors in Young People Good Practice Award.”
The new chair of MG ALBA, Allan MacDonald, has started his role with the body responsible for Gaelic programming in Scotland.
Appointed for a four-year term from January 01st 2019 by Ofcom, Allan succeeds Maggie Cunningham who served as chair of MG ALBA from July 2012.
Allan, a native Gaelic speaker, has played a major part in Gaelic radio and television production and broadcasting spanning 40 years.
His career includes 12 years with the BBC, during which time Allan was instrumental in establishing a radio station in Stornoway, two years as Head of Gaelic with Grampian TV and 25 years in the independent television sector as chief executive of sport and entertainment company mneTV, and a director of digital and television producer, purpleTV.
Allan has experience in news and current affairs in radio, television and the press, as well as being an executive producer, producer and director of a wide variety of general programmes including, religion, comedy, music and award-winning documentaries, most recently RTS award winners about Jock Stein and Jim Baxter.
Allan was most recently the Chair of Bòrd na Gàidhlig (the principal public body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic development), and is a former member of the Board of Lews Castle College of Education in Stornoway and of the Board of Skillset in Scotland. For six years he was elected Chairman of the independent television sector in Scotland (PACT) and served as a director of PACT (UK) in London.
New MG ALBA chair Allan MacDonald comments:
“I am very proud to be joining MG ALBA as the organisation’s new chair. Our shared aim is to build on the success delivered by BBC ALBA over the past ten years and I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members and staff, our creative partners who make our content, and with the BBC, who are our broadcast partners in BBC ALBA.
I also look forward to engaging closely with the community and other partners and to developing our relationship with government which funds MG ALBA to enable it to fulfil its mission.”
BBC ALBA stars Cathy Macdonald and Niall Iain Macdonald will be saying “slàinte” to the New Year in style, after revealing a fantastic line-up for the channel’s live Hogmanay Ceilidh celebrations.
The event will be held in Govan, ahead of a very special year for Glasgow Gaels.
2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, Scotland’s first Gaelic-only primary school, which opened in 1999 and Glasgow’s newest Gaelic school will open in Govan itself later in the year. Govan Gaelic Choir is celebrating its 90th anniversary. And 2018 marked the 125th anniversary of Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association; both choirs will be performing on the Hogmanay Ceilidh show.
The line up for the event boasts a tremendous array of artists, from soloists to bands, with a diverse mix of entertainment.
Making a name for himself on both sides of the pond having performed on James Corden’s Late Late Show, acclaimed singer / songwriter Colin Macleod will be performing tracks from his debut album Bloodlines.
Singer and presenter of the MG ALBA Trad Awards, Kim Carnie, will be singing live, joined by the spirited Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band led by Ingrid Henderson, the show’s Musical Director.
Performing live are singers Kathleen MacInnes and Sineag MacIntyre who form part of the Urban Teuchtars band, and the piping quartet Seudan, featuring Calum MacCrimmon, Angus MacKenzie, Fin Moore and Angus Nicolson.
Renowned sean-nòs singer Murdo ‘Wasp’ Macdonald and Hò-rò a dynamic band of Highland and Island multi instrumentalists completes the Hogmanay Ceilidh line up.
The 100th anniversary of The Iolaire tragedy will be commemorated in the early hours of 2019 with a touching tribute from the Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association. HMY Iolaire was carrying servicemen home from the Great War when she hit the rocks at the Beasts of Holm off Stornoway in Lewis in the early hours of January 1st 1919. She sank only twenty yards from shore. Communities in Lewis and Harris were devastated when 201 local men lost their lives.
The programme will also mark 100 years of Armistice Day. Piper Andy Cant of Orkney will be performing his own composition ‘In Remembrance’. Andy performed this tune at home in St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall to commemorate the Battle of Jutland and at Glasgow Cathedral to mark the end of the Great War.
Steeped in history, Old Govan Town Hall, like The Highlanders Institute, was once the dance hall of choice for Gaels living in Glasgow. The location of this years’ show will bring a touch of nostalgia to the contemporary ceilidh celebrations.
This year’s event is to be broadcast live from 11:30pm on BBC ALBA, with worldwide audiences able to view via the BBC ALBA website – bbc.co.uk/alba
Cathy Macdonald comments:
“Bringing in the bells live on BBC ALBA is always a real pleasure and it’s great having my co-host Niall Iain back for another year!”
Co-presenter Niall Iain Macdonald comments:
“With such incredible live Gaelic music and song and the ceilidh craic and atmosphere the audience and artists bring to the show, there is nowhere else I’d rather be at Hogmanay!”
Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire coverage starts on BBC ALBA at 11:30pm on Monday, 31 December.
BBC ALBA and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal today (18th December) announce a special New Year schedule to commemorate the centenary of the Iolaire disaster.
On 1st January 1919, HMY Iolaire, carrying sailors on their return home from the First World War struck rocks and foundered less than a mile away from Stornoway harbour, claiming the lives of 201 men, many of whom were from communities on the Islands of Lewis and Harris. This left a profound and lasting impact on the lives of the surviving families and friends, and the wider island communities.
BBC ALBA and Radio nan Gàidheal have scheduled an extensive season of programming combining poetry, music, arts, animation, documentary and drama to remember those lost in this catastrophic event.
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal will have extensive, live coverage of community commemoration events throughout the evening of 31st December, starting at 7pm running on to the afternoon of 1st January. The station will offer world-wide access to audiences of the main public gatherings including a vigil at the site of the Iolaire memorial at 1.50am and a service of remembrance at noon on January 1st.
On BBC ALBA, a series of eight short films, Guthan na h-Iolaire are to be shown over the 31st of December and 1st of January. The films dramatise verbatim accounts from witnesses and survivors, and include the story of John F Macleod who swam to shore with a rope which saved many lives, and the story of Donald Morrison who spent the night clinging to the mast of the sunken Iolaire.
Also on the evening of 31st December, a specially commissioned animated film, Tha Thu air Aigeann M’ Inntinn, will be premiered. The film has been hand-drawn and produced by Catriona Black using Iain Crichton’s Smith’s poem of the same name as the foundation for an intense and moving depiction of the disaster. The film is accompanied by an original musical score from the award-winning fiddler, Sarah-Jane Summers.
New Year’s Day on BBC ALBA features significant Iolaire programming, with both archive and new commissions: Cuimhneachan – Iolaire presents a selection of poetry and song written about the disaster. This is followed by An Iolaire – Bidh Sinn a’ Cuimhneachadh, a documentary exploring the part that visual and creative arts have had in the healing process for an entire community. Sàl, the suite of music commissioned Singer-songwriter Iain Morrison and Dalziel & Scullion, is scheduled later that evening in Iolaire: Sàl.
BBC ALBA and Radio nan Gàidheal’s news teams will be delivering special bulletins and coverage from the events taking place in and around the communities most impacted.
On 2nd January, Sàr Sgeòil will focus on the Iolaire-based novel ‘As the Women Lay Dreaming’ from critically acclaimed writer Donald S Murray. Cathy MacDonald explores the fact behind the fiction of the novel, an event which had a deep impact on her own family.
Schedule:
BBC ALBA
Monday 31 December
Guthan na h-Iolaire the first four of eight short drama monologues based on verbatim testimony, from 7.55pm
Tha Thu air Aigeann M’ Inntinn (animated film) airs at 8.20pm
Tuesday 1 January
Guthan na h-Iolaire Four remaining drama monologues based on verbatim testimony, from 5.00pm
An Iolaire (documentary first broadcast in 2009) airs at 5.30pm
Home at Last (documentary first broadcasting 1989) airs at 6.30pm
Cuimhneachan (Iolaire poetry and song) airs at 7.15pm
Bidh Sinn A’ Cuimhneachadh (arts documentary) airs at 8pm
Sàl (Musical performances from Iain Morrison, singer songwriter) airs at 10pm
Wednesday 2 January
Sàr Sgeòil: As The Women Lay Dreaming (arts documentary) airs at 9pm
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal will have extensive, live coverage of community commemoration events throughout the evening of 31st December, starting at 7pm running on to the afternoon of 1st January. The station will offer world-wide access to audiences of the main public gatherings including a vigil at the site of the Iolaire memorial at 1.50am and a service of remembrance at noon on January 1st.
Radio nan Gàidheal will continue to broadcast a series of Iolaire-themed programmes throughout the first week in January with a series, Bailtean fo Bhròin, exploring the impact of the disaster on communities and specific districts.
Iolaire-themed programmes have been produced by BBC Gàidhlig, Catriona Black and Am Bocsa, STV, MacTV and Caledonia TV.
There is a wealth of original content this Christmas on BBC ALBA, from heart-wrenching documentaries, to fantastic children’s drama with music and celebrations in between.
Kicking off festivities is Ceathrar air Chuairt, with four teenagers braving the wilds of the Scottish Highlands bereft of mod-cons. Over three consecutive days starting on Christmas Eve, wild swimming social media sensation Calum Maclean joins Lachlan, Megan, Clare Frances and Angus as they try and become self-sufficient in inhospitable conditions. There is laughter, tears and clashing personalities, on the very rocky road.
Calum Maclean, star of BBC ALBA’s Dhan Uisge and BBC’s The Social says: “Our expedition was a great challenge, which never exactly went to plan! Viewers will see how four normal young Scots deal with some of the harshest weather, relentless hard walking and maybe toughest of all – each other!”
An emotional search for a long-lost brother and son, A’ Sireadh Sascha, follows popular Gaelic singer Mischa Macpherson, a BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner, as she travels to Germany with her father Lachie to find the son he last saw 34 years ago.
A real Christmas Day treat is in store for BBC ALBA’s young viewers with a new drama A-null ’s a-nall: Buidheagain the story of a young traveller girl’s fight to call a farm her home. The drama, created as part of a scheme by the European Broadcasting Union was written by Patsi MacKenzie and directed by former River City star Tony Kearney.
Tony Kearney comments, “It’s a great script and a fantastic cast of young budding stars and so it feels like just the thing for families on Christmas Day.”
After a hugely popular debut this Autumn, FUNC delivers a cheeky Christmas comedy special with guest appearances from well-known personalities in the world of politics and entertainment. FUNC is produced and directed by Michael Hines, one of the creators of Still Game.
2018 marked 30 years since the Piper Alpha tragedy. Piper Alpha: An Sgàil is a moving personal documentary following journalist Iona Ballantyne as she meets families whose loved ones were lost as well survivors of the disaster.
On Boxing Day, Colin MacLeod – When it Kicks In follows the singer-songwriter from Lewis as he starts to make a real impact in the music industry. When he’s not playing music, writing songs or surfing, Colin fishes and works with his Dad at home on their croft on the Isle of Lewis. This is in sharp contrast to the heady world of international music he has just entered. Colin signed a new deal with a major record label in the US which took him to guesting on the The Late Late Show with James Corden and supporting his boyhood hero Robert Plant at the O2 in London. BBC ALBA has had unique access to Colin across 2018 to create a personal portrait of this not so regular rock star.
Playing with the nostalgia related to Christmas, Bho Chaorain gu Consoles will round-up the Christmas traditions across the generations, from when peat and coal were accepted gifts to the computer-based gaming traditions of recent years.
Other festive favourites on BBC ALBA will be a lively music performance from Mànran aig Barrowland and Christmas Eve reflections from Edinburgh’s historic Greyfriars Church, Nollaig Chridheil à Dùn Èideann 2018.
Cèilidh Na Bliadhn’ Ùire will round off BBC ALBA’s 10th anniversary year in traditional style. This year’s live event takes place in Govan Old Town Hall on the banks of the River Clyde. The show is hosted by Cathy Macdonald and Niall Iain Macdonald. More information and a full line up will follow.
Finally, the centenary of the Iolaire disaster will be commemorated with an extensive schedule of programmes including documentaries, dramatic monologues, animation and special music and arts commissions. A full schedule of broadcast events will be released separately.
Mànran aig Barrowland airs on Saturday 22 December at 9pm
Ceathrar Air Chuairt airs on Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December at 8.30pm
A’ Sireadh Sascha airs on Christmas Eve at 9pm
Nollaig Chridheil à Dùn Èideann 2018 airs on Christmas Eve at 11pm
A-null ’s a-nall: Buidheagain airs on Christmas Day at 6.05pm
Bho Chaorain gu Consoles airs on Christmas Day at
FUNC airs on Christmas Day at 10pm
Colin MacLeod – When it Kicks In airs on Boxing Day at 9pm
Piper Alpha: An Sgàil airs on Hogmanay at 9pm
Cèilidh Na Bliadhn’ Ùire airs on Hogmanay from 11:30pm
Today (Monday 15th) at MIPCOM, to mark their new strategic alliance, the partners in the ‘Celtic International Fund’ are launching ‘The Wall’, a six-part documentary series for Welsh broadcaster S4C, Irish broadcaster TG4 and Korean broadcaster JTV. The series, due for broadcast in early 2019, is co-produced by Rondo from Wales and Rosg from Ireland.
The ‘Celtic International Fund’ runs an annual joint-commissioning round between the indigenous Celtic language television broadcasters and funders of Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
It has been set up by BBC ALBA (with funding from MG ALBA), S4C, TG4 and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF).
The aim of the Celtic International Fund is to promote co-development and then co-production through Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Irish, and to encourage a broader European and worldwide internationalisation of productions which are originally conceived in those Celtic languages.
The Celtic International Fund will provide film-makers with an opportunity to co-develop and co-produce distinctive, ambitious works to enrich primetime programme schedules, to have a national impact with audiences in the territories of Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland and seek to reach audiences worldwide.
The initial call-out encompasses three genres – Factual, Drama and Animation. All successful projects will undergo a development phase where funding will be provided to both develop ideas and the co-production framework, which must ha’ve a production element in Scotland, Wales and either Ireland, or Northern Ireland.
The Celtic International Fund will be administered by a joint commissioning team drawn from the Celtic language broadcasters and funders who are partners in the scheme.
TG4 Director General, Alan Esslemont, welcomed the new co-production initiative:
“In a media landscape dominated by high production values, driven by international giants with deep pockets, it is more and more important that TG4 works with partners in order to create an environment allowing our own independent companies to bring quality ideas into the international market.”
This new Celtic partnership, combined with recent EBU initiatives on European co-production, means that TG4 will become an important partner in European and worldwide programme markets allowing us to bring higher quality programmes to our viewers.”
Head of the ILBF, Áine Walsh, welcomed the new co-production initiative:
“We are delighted to be part of this initiative, which will enable Irish speaking producers in Northern Ireland to work alongside their Celtic neighbours to develop content that can be enjoyed by a global audience. This new partnership will lead to a stronger and more developed production sector and we are excited to see new factual, drama and animated content with high production values and that has originated in the Celtic territories, make its mark in the global market.”
Amanda Rees, S4C Creative Content Director, said: “The Celtic International Fund has given us the opportunity to build invaluable partnerships with our fellow Celtic broadcasters and help pool the substantial creative talent that we have in our midst.
“The Wall is a series which looks at both sides of the world’s most contentious divides, narrated by stories of families and communities split apart. This series is timely and relevant to audiences worldwide, and is a shining example of what we can produce through co-operating with other broadcasters.”
Iseabail MacTaggart, Director of Strategy & Partnership at MG ALBA added:
“We are ambitious for our production sector and see this initiative as an opportunity to both allow production companies to compete on a global stage and to create new and enhanced content for BBC ALBA audiences. By collaborating internationally we increase the quality and reach of our content.”
BBC ALBA today (13 September) announces a landmark partnership with the corporation’s cherished children’s brands, CBeebies and CBBC.
CBeebies and CBBC will launch on ALBA on Monday, 17th September from stunning new sets.
Stars of CBeebies and CBBC, Ben Cajee and Karim Zeroual, visited Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic School) to celebrate the exciting new collaboration.
They were joined by Carrie MacNeil, Ruairidh Cormack, Hannah McKirdy and Calum MacDonald who, along with a team of fresh new talent, will present BBC ALBA’s new-look Gaelic children’s zones.
As a result of this daily, year-round production, original children’s content will quadruple on BBC ALBA.
CBeebies, for pre-schoolers, will run on ALBA from 5pm for an hour, ending with Stòiridh – a nightly bedtime story. The Gaelic-language version of CBBC will air from 6pm to 7pm.
The two Gaelic services will look and feel similar to their English-language cousins with sing-a-longs, birthday shout-outs, makes and bakes.
This major initiative marks the 10th anniversary of BBC ALBA, and celebrates 40 years of Gaelic language children’s programming on the BBC.
Bill Macleod, executive producer for BBC ALBA and leading the initiative, says:
“This is a bold new commitment to inclusion and diversity, giving Gaelic-speaking children and parents their own unique versions of the BBC’s much-loved children’s strands. It’s been a fantastic collaborative effort with our colleagues at BBC Children’s in Salford. We know the kids will love what is in store for them.”
Margaret Mary Murray, Head of the BBC’s Gaelic Services says:
“Children’s programmes lie at the heart of BBC ALBA’s daily schedule and we are delighted to be able to offer such an exciting and substantial development which will bring real value and impact to our young audience through a unique BBC partnership.”
Ian France, Head of Presentation, BBC Children’s says:
“The Presentation department for CBBC and CBeebies is the beating heart of both channels and is expert at engaging with children all over the UK so I’m thrilled that this new partnership means even more children will be able to enjoy our wonderful content.”
Scottish Rugby has reached a ground-breaking deal with BBC ALBA to televise an unprecedented number of women’s matches over the next year.
The deal includes not only the broadcast of the elite sport with women’s Six Nations coverage, but also coverage of the final of Scotland’s leading domestic competition, the Sarah Beaney Cup – a huge show of support to reflect the growth of the women’s game.
The announcement comes just months after a major new deal for Scottish women’s football on BBC ALBA was announced, along with the first live broadcast of women’s shinty, strengthening the channel’s position as the home of Scottish women’s sport.
The first Scotland Women rugby match to be shown under the new deal will be when Scotland host Canada at Scotstoun on Tuesday 27 November. The game will be available live across the UK on the channel and via the BBC iPlayer.
Scottish Rugby is currently promoting women’s rugby with the aim to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2021, and has recently restructured the playing season to encourage wider participation. Both MG ALBA and Scottish Rugby are committed to increasing the profile of the women’s game together in the run up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Dominic McKay, Chief Operating Officer at Scottish Rugby said:
“We are working hard to ensure women’s rugby has the strongest possible platform to help develop players and broaden the appeal of the game and this partnership with BBC ALBA is an exciting addition to that. We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with BBC ALBA through its coverage of the Premiership and PRO14 and so we are very excited to work with them to broadcast women’s rugby in Scotland.”
Gemma Fay, Head of Girl’s and Women’s Rugby at Scottish Rugby said:
“I am delighted BBC ALBA have announced they will be covering the Scottish Women’s Rugby matches on their channel. The commitment they are showing to Scottish women’s sport is really positive and we hope this will in turn help to inspire the next generation of rugby players.”
Iseabail Mactaggart, Director of Strategy and Partnership at MG ALBA said:
“We are delighted to be able to showcase the growing women’s game in Scotland with both Six Nations coverage and the Sarah Beaney Cup Final. We’ve demonstrated with our previous coverage of the PRO14 competition how we can usefully partner to catalyse the growth of a sport, and engage new audiences – sometimes for the first time – with Gaelic. I am proud that BBC ALBA is able to showcase these sportswomen’s efforts both in the national team but also the Sarah Beaney Cup teams. We’re excited too to kick off with making the Canada game available there by livestreaming it at the end of the month.”
Sport Minister Joe FitzPatrick said:
“This partnership is a key step in celebrating and raising awareness of women’s rugby in Scotland. Not only will elite female fixtures be broadcast, including the Women’s Six Nations, but the grassroots game will gain exposure with people able to view the final of the key domestic competition, the Sarah Beaney Cup.
“Scottish Rugby and their partners have worked hard to increase the number of women and girls participating in rugby, and the commitment of BBC and MG ALBA to showcasing the sport is another step forward.”
The 2018 Scottish Women’s Football (SWF) Annual Awards Dinner will be sponsored by MG ALBA. After agreeing a deal with SWF to broadcast more games than ever before on BBC ALBA earlier this year until 2020, this is another sign of the dedication of channel partner, MG ALBA, to the girl’s and women’s game.
Vivienne MacLaren, Chair of Scottish Women’s Football, said: “This is a huge moment for us as an organisation. MG ALBA have been terrific supporters of our game for a long time, so we’re delighted to have them involved in this event.
“Bringing these awards back was a very big target for us. It’s about creating a night for all our members so that the people involved in the game can come together and celebrate the successes across the country and throughout the various levels of girls’ and women’s football.”
Iseabail Mactaggart, Director of Strategy and Partnership for MG ALBA, said: “We are delighted to become the sponsors of the Scottish Women’s Football Annual Awards Dinner. We’ve worked very positively with SWF on building a platform for the game on BBC ALBA and knew this was a project that would allow us to continue to champion women’s football in Scotland.”
The MG ALBA Scottish Women’s Football Annual Awards Dinner 2018 will see 14 awards presented on the night, with four nominees for the majority of categories.
“We received an extremely high number of nominations” said Vivienne. “The awards panel had a very difficult time narrowing it down, which shows how exciting and competitive the game has become. I certainly don’t envy their position when it comes to picking the winners.
“Ticket and table sales have been really high, with interest from various teams, clubs, and parts of the country. That’s exactly what we want. While not everyone can be a nominee or a winner on the night these awards are a celebration of the hard-work that so many people, the majority of who are volunteers, put into the game.”
The MG ALBA Scottish Women’s Football Annual Awards Dinner 2018 is on Saturday 17th November at The Hilton, Glasgow. For more information and tickets, which are now limited, visit https://scotwomensfootball.com/swf-annual-awards/.
Organizing body, Hands Up for Trad have announced the artists shortlisted for this year’s MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
The prestigious MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards is a staple in the traditional music calendar with an astounding seventeen categories this year. Winners will be revealed exclusively to a live audience of music fans and industry at Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 1st December. The event will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA, BBC Radio Scotland and globally through the BBC ALBA website and will be presented by Mary Ann Kennedy and Kim Carnie.
The full shortlist is below; among them Neo-trad quintet Elephant Sessions who are in the running for Live Act of The Year. Their history with the awards stretches back to 2014 when they won Up and Coming Artist of the Year in 2014, Best Live Act in 2016 and the astonishing Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music Award last year. Also competing for the crown are BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Winners Talisk and Isle of Skye’s, Niteworks.
Elephant Session’s band member Alasdair Taylor has received his first solo nomination for Composer of the Year sponsored by PRS for Music.
Nominees for the prestigious Trad Album of the Year features a handful of works including Alterum by Julie Fowlis, EVO by Skerryvore & The Seer by Lauren MacColl. This year marks the second Trad Album of The Year nomination for Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton for their second album ‘Symbiosis II’.
Names for the most sought-after Gaelic Singer of the Year include Josie Duncan and Maeve Mackinnon. Màrtainn Skene Highland Dance Band are vying for Scottish Dance Band of the Year whilst The Arc Sessions, who bring some of Scotland’s best live music acts to Fochabers, Moray are up for Club of The Year.
Folk Band of the Year sees a nomination for Glasgow-based five-piece Ímar, who’s accolades include several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, the BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award and were shortlisted for MG ALBA Album of The Year back in 2017.
The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music returns this year, with the shortlist of ten released later this week.
Murdo MacSween, Communications Manager for the event’s title sponsor, MG ALBA, said: “We at MG ALBA are immensely proud to support Scotland’s world-class musical talent and we’re delighted to give the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards a global platform on BBC ALBA, through our online stream on the BBC iPlayer.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland, said: “From the standard bearers who keep our traditions alive to the grassroots organisations who inspire communities across all of Scotland, from the international stars of today to the emerging stars of tomorrow, there’s nothing quite like Na Trads when it comes to celebrating the sheer depth and breadth of our folk heritage. Scotland’s music flows through the heart of our culture, and the very best of it is on display in every one of these categories.
Congratulations to all of the nominees and also to sector champions Hands Up for Trad, whom Creative Scotland is proud to support as a Regularly Funded Organisation.”
Provost of Perth and Kinross Dennis Melloy said: “As someone who has enjoyed and supported Scottish Traditional music most of my adult life, I am very much looking forward to welcoming the finalists of the 2018 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. The shortlist for this event is fantastic and I am sure we are all in for a treat!
These Awards feature leading Scottish musicians and singers. Known as the Folk Oscars, they are returning to Perth once again to put traditional Scottish music including Gaelic Song, Folk, Scottish Dance music, to Pipe Bands into the spotlight.”
Stuart Fleming, PRS for Music Senior Manager, Scotland & Northern Ireland, said: “From the folk clubs bringing some of Scotland’s best live music acts to the stage, to the composers writing the music we all love to hear, it is great to see so much talent recognised by the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. Congratulations to all of those nominated – these shortlists showcase the truly excellent culture of Scotland’s traditional music scene, which continues to go from strength to strength.”
The shortlists are as follows:
Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD
Club of the Year Sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (Tracs)
Composer of the Year Sponsored by PRS for Music
Community Project of the Year Sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Event of the Year Sponsored by VisitScotland
Gaelic Singer of the Year Sponsored by Macmeanmna
Instrumentalist of the Year Sponsored by Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Live Act of the Year Sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year Sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association
Scottish Dance Band of the Year Sponsored by National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs
Scottish Folk Band of the Year Sponsored by Threads of Sound
Scottish Pipe Band of the Year
Trad Music in the Media Sponsored by Skipinnish
Music Tutor of the Year Sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Up and Coming Artist of the Year Sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Venue of the Year Award Sponsored by Musicians’ Union
