BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician


The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician competition has run annually since 2001.
It exists to encourage young musicians to keep their tradition alive and to provide performance opportunities, tools and advice to help contestants make a career in traditional music. Former winners include Hannah Rarity, Mohsen Amini, Robyn Stapleton, Shona Mooney and Emily Smith.
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Competition

The competition was started in 2000 by Simon Thoumire, together with fiddler Clare McLaughlin and Elspeth Cowie, national organiser of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland, and was first awarded at the 2001 Celtic Connections festival.
BBC Radio Scotland started to support the award the following year, and has continued to do so. The award is organised and run by Hands Up for Trad on behalf of BBC Radio Scotland.
The usual format of the award is a residential weekend in October at Wiston Lodge, South Lanarkshire for twelve semi-finalists. From there, six are selected to go on to a final concert, where the winner is chosen by a panel of judges.
Since 2007, the final concert has been held in Glasgow City Halls on the last day of the Celtic Connections festival, and broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland. Between 2012 and 2015 the final concert was also televised on BBC Alba. The presenter was initially Mary Ann Kennedy, replaced in 2016 by Bruce MacGregor. From 2020 the final concert was again televised on BBC Alba with Joy Dunlop giving Gaelic commentary alongside MacGregor.
The semi-finals of the 2021 competition took place in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of the Wiston Lodge weekend, the entrants performed in the foyer of the BBC Pacific Quay building, with no audience.
The eligibility criteria are that the contestant is aged between 16 and 27, and is normally resident in Scotland or has lived in Scotland for five years. This age range is more extended than the similarly titled BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. That award is open to all United Kingdom residents, but its age range is just 16 to 21. Hence the contestants for the Scottish award are usually more advanced musicians, often students or graduates of one of the degrees in traditional music such as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's BMus with Honours, and already established in a professional career in music.
While the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award uses the umbrella term "folk", the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award is specifically for a Scottish musician performing the music of their own tradition, though not necessarily Scottish traditional music.
The TMSA Young Trad Tour is an annual tour of Scotland by the finalists and the previous year's winner, organised by the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland, and supported by Creative Scotland. The destinations include the Celtic Connections festival and the hometowns of each of the finalists. The musicians also make an album together.

Award winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and marked with a blue riband.
YearNameHomeplaceInstrumentHigher music education
2025Ellie BeatonRothienormanVoiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2025Roo GeddesGlasgowFiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2025Miguel GirãoPortugalGuitarEscola Superior de Música de Lisboa and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
2025Laura PenmanEdinburghClarsachRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2025Noah ScottFrancePianoRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2025Clelland ShandDunfermlineAccordionRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2024PerthshireBagpipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2024 South UistVoiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2024AberdeenshireGuitar, mandolin & voiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2024 SkyeVoiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2024 LondonFiddleTrinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
2024 StirlingVoice, step dance percussionRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2023ShetlandpianoRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2023 OxfordshireaccordionRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2023 IslayGaelic songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2023 Orkneyvoice, guitarRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2023 New England, USAfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2023 Kirriemuir, AngussmallpipesUniversity of the Highlands and Islands
2022Scottish BordersfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2022 GlasgowfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2022 GlasgowclarsachRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2022 InvernessGaelic songSabhal Mòr Ostaig
2022 SkyepipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2022 GlasgowpianoRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2021Newcastle upon TynepianoRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2021 Aberdeenshirelever harpRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2021 HuntlyvoiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2021 OrkneyfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2021 RothienormanvoiceAberdeen City Music School
2021 County DownbagpipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2020Dingwallwhistles, pipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2020 Aberdeenshireguitar, mandolin, voiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2020 PerthshirefiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2020 AberdeenshireScots songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2020 LewisGaelic songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2020 UistaccordionEdinburgh University and Maynooth University
2019GlasgowfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2019 Dipton, County Durhamguitar, voiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2019 StonehavenfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2019 LinlithgowbagpipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2019 SkyeGaelic song
2019 Coatbridgeflute
2018West LothianScots songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2018 GlasgowbagpipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2018 Keith, MorayScots songUniversity of Aberdeen and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
2018 Drumbeg, SutherlandpianoRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2018 Maryburgh, Ross-shirewhistles, pipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2018 Dipton, County Durhamguitar, voiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2017GlenfargfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2017 PaisleyaccordionRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2017 HuntlyScots songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2017 ErskinebagpipesUniversity of the Highlands and Islands
2017 SkyeScots songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2017 ObanGaelic song
2016Glasgowconcertina
2016 LochaberfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2016 OrkneyclarsachRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2016 LismoreaccordionBenbecula College
2016 EdinburghfiddleBenbecula College
2016 CardrossfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2015DumfriessongRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2015 CardrosssongRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2015 Shetlandfiddle
2015 Dunblaneclarsach
2015 CardrossfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2015 Skyefiddle
2014StranraervoiceRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2014 BishoptonpianoRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2014 TireeaccordionRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2014 Edinburghguitar, song
2014 FochabersfiddleStrathclyde University
2014 KilchoanfiddleStrathclyde University
2013Glasgowaccordion
2013 ConnelpianoRoyal Northern College of Music and Eastman School of Music
2013 InvernessfiddleRoyal Northern College of Music
2013 PaisleyaccordionRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2013 Dunkeldfiddle
2013 Erskinepipes, whistleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2012Obanfiddle
2012 LewisGaelic song
2012 GlasgowfiddleIrish World Academy of Music and Dance
2012 OrkneyfiddleRoyal Northern College of Music and Royal Academy of Music
2012 Glasgowfiddle
2012 StrathblaneScots song
2011OrkneyfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2011 Strathblanesong
2011 Dunsaccordion
2011 CarradalepipesRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2011 SkyeGaelic song and clarsachBerklee College of Music
2011 Glasgowpiano
2010InveruriefiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2010 Glasgowaccordion, harp
2010 SkyeharpBerklee College of Music
2010 CarradalepipesRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2010 GlasgowharpRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2010 HelensburghpipesRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2009NairnfiddleRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2009 Edinburghguitar
2009 Carradalepipes, whistleRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2009 LewisGaelic song
2009 Buckiefiddle
2009 InveruriefiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2008Carrbridgeguitar, voice
2008 Livingstonepipes, whistleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2008 DunblaneScots songRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2008 Isle of Lewispipes, smallpipes, flute, whistles
2008 Dumfriesaccordion, piano
2008 Edinburghclarsach
2007LewisGaelicRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2007 Isle of SkyeGaelic songRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2007 Nairnfiddle
2007 Garmouthwooden flute
2007 Monifiethpipes, whistles
2007 Glasgowaccordion
2006BordersfiddleNewcastle University
2006 Glasgowfiddle
2006 Melroseaccordion
2006 SkyeGaelic songRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2006 Grantown on Speyflute, piano, Scots songBerklee College of Music
2006 Islaypipes, whistleSabhal Mòr Ostaig
2005FalkirkbagpipesRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2005 Edinburghclarsarch, song
2005 Nairnfiddle
2005 SkyesongRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2005 SkyefiddleStrathclyde University
2005 GlasgowsongRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
2004LochinverGaelic songRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2004 Huntlyvoice, fiddle
2004 Edinburghclarsach, voiceRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2004 Skyefiddle, voiceStrathclyde University
2004 Lanarkaccordion
2004 Shetlandfiddle, piano, voiceRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2003Fortrosefiddle, guitarStrathclyde University
2003 Huntlysong
2003 Invernessfiddle
2003 Shetlandfiddle
2003 Glasgowflute
2003 Bordersfiddle, voiceRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2002Dumfries and GallowayScots songRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2002 AberfoylefiddleStrathclyde University
2002 GolspieharpRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2002 Grantown on Speyvoice, guitarRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2002 BordersfiddleRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
2002 Bridge of Earnsmallpipes, whistle, Highland pipes
2001ArranfiddleRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
2001 PerthshirefiddleRoyal Northern College of Music
2001 Glasgowflute
2001 Achiltibuiepipes, accordion
2001 ArbroathScots song
2001 GlasgowbanjoRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama