A new annual award ceremony celebrating folk music has been announced.
The Folk Album of the Year Award will showcase the breadth and diversity of the genre's community across all four nations of the UK and Ireland. The originality, artistic quality and cultural impact of the shortlisted acts, regardless of their commercial profile, will also be celebrated during the 2026 event.
Eight albums — each of which must have been released in 2025 — will make the final shortlist, which will be selected by a panel of performers, music and media professionals. Celebrated folk singer-songwriter and Executive Producer of BBC Radio 2’s The Folk Show, Kellie While, will chair the panel.
Submissions are now open to artists and their representatives, including labels and publishers, and will close at 23:59 on 31 October. The final shortlist will then be announced in November, while the award ceremony (which will be livestreamed online) will take place at Rochdale Town Hall on 17 March 2026 in front of an invited audience of 200 musicians and industry professionals.
Speaking about the new award, David Agnew, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sound Roots, said: ‘This award is about celebrating the sheer breadth of creativity and artistic innovation in folk music today. We want to spotlight work that might otherwise go unheard, bringing brilliant new music to the widest possible audiences.’
The Folk Album of the Year Award sits within Sound Roots’ wider programme of events, including Manchester Folk Festival and English Folk Expo (EFEx). Sound Roots also delivers a range of networking, education and commercially focused initiatives designed to support, celebrate and connect the UK’s grassroots folk community.
This award is also supported by Rochdale Development Agency, forming a key part of Rochdale’s 2026 Town of Culture celebrations.
