Inveraray Named Pipe Band of the Year in Traditional Music Awards

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Inveraray & District Pipe Band have capped off a great year by being named Pipe Band of the Year at the MG Alba Scottish Traditional Music Awards. Their award was sponsored by Glenturret Single Malt Whisky.
Other nominees in the category included Royal Burgh of Annan, Lochalsh Juniors and Dollar Academy. The awards are in their 15th year and were presented at a glitzy award ceremony in the Lagoon Centre, Paisley. They were broadcast live on BBC ALBA, BBC Radio Scotland and globally through the BBC ALBA website.
Members of the Inveraray band will long remember 2017: World Champions in Grade 1 and for drumming, leading drummer Steven McWhirter World Solo Drumming Champion, and P/Sgt Alasdair Henderson the Northern Meeting Gold Medallist. To add to that P/M Stuart Liddell’s band will be the feature pipe band on BBC Scotland Television’s Hogmanay show. It doesn’t get any better than all of that and all eyes will be on the band as they sustain their push for more titles into 2018.
Back at the awards, Greentrax Recording’s Live Act of the Year went to trad heavyweights Skipinnish. The band kicked 2017 off with a bang, releasing a single, ‘Alive’, reaching number 26 in the UK music charts, followed by a new album and a sold-out album launch tour. Skipinnish are sponsors of the Trad Music in the Media category, which was won by BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

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Other winners included Gaelic Singer of the Year winner, Robert Robertson, who beat off stiff competition from, Alasdair MacIlleBhàin and Calum Alex MacMillan. Talisk – clinched the Scottish Folk Band of the Year award.
Hands Up for Trad, which is supported by Creative Scotland, exists to promote Scottish traditional music through education, information and advocacy to artists, audiences and participants throughout Scotland and beyond.
HUT Creative Director Simon Thoumire, said: ‘Every year we welcome some of the best talent in the world to these awards, and we are honoured to see our 15th year one of the biggest and best yet.  We’ve had an outstanding evening with immense talent being showcased and celebrated, so congratulations once again to all of tonight’s nominees and worthy winners.
‘We would also like to thank the Paisley 2021 Bid team, for being such warm hosts, Renfrewshire Council for their overwhelming support this year and finally, huge thanks to MG ALBA for their continued contribution to the awards and for allowing the entire world to tune in and enjoy the evening with us.
‘We’re thrilled to announce that in 2018 the Scots Trad Awards are headed to Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 1stDecember – stay tuned for all our exciting news.’

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Murdo MacSween, Communications Manager for the event’s title sponsor, MG ALBA, said: ‘We at MG ALBA are delighted to support the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards and we’re proud to be able to showcase on BBC ALBA the wealth of trad talent this country has to offer.’
Paisley 2021 City of Culture Bid Director Jean Cameron said: ‘It’s been great to host the event for the first time and I’d like to issue a hearty congratulations to all the worthy winners.
‘There’s been some incredible talent on show tonight and Paisley is proud of its great links with trad through our annual arts festival the Spree and also through hosting the Royal National Mòd, which we will welcome back again in 2021 or 2022.
‘This year’s MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards has been a special event, made even more significant as a decision on the UK City of Culture 2021 title is expected soon.’
Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: ‘Every single category at this year’s MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards was bursting with talent, so it’s plain to see why 2017 has been such an amazing year for Scotland’s folk and trad music. Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees for taking this scene to a higher level at home and abroad. It’s great to see the likes of Talisk, Elephant Sessions, Siobhan Miller, Robert Robertson and Ho-ro carry our traditional heritage on their young shoulders, championing Scottish culture around the world and into the future.’

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