Cavan singer in running for four awards

 

Cavan singer-songwriter Lisa O'Neill stands a chance of winning no fewer than four separate awards at the prestigious 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards later this evening.

The Ballyhaise-native has received nomination in four categories: Folk Singer of the Year; Best Traditional Track (‘Factory Girl’ with Radie Peat); Best Original Track (‘Blackbird’); and Best Album for 'Heard a Long Gone Song'.

Now in its 20th year, the award ceremony will be broadcast live from Manchester's Bridgewater Hall in Manchester from 7-9pm tonight on BBC Radio 2 and on the BBC Sounds app.

 

 

Lisa faces fellow musicians Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Olivia Chaney, and Ríoghnach Connolly from Armagh in the Folk Singer of the Year category.

Vrï (‘Ffoles Llantrisant’), Ye Vagabonds (‘The Foggy Dew’), and Sid Goldsmith (‘Reedcutter’s Daughter’) are Lisa's competition for the Best Traditional Track; with Karine Polwart (‘I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’), Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening (‘O-U-T Spells Out’), and Kris Drever (Scapa Flow) for Best Original Track.

'Heard a Long Gone Song', Lisa's latest album was released last October on Rough Trade's River Lea label. It positively received by the music press, and also received a nomination in the inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, where again Lisa again received nominations for Best Folk Album; Best Original Folk Tracks ('Blackbird' & 'Rock The Machine'); Best Traditional Folk Track - 'The Factory Girl'; and as Best Folk Singer.

 

 

At the BBC awards 'Heard a Long Gone Song' will be competing against 'Ancora' by Flook, 'Hide and Hair' by The Trials Of Cato, and 'Soar' by Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita for Best Album.

Finch and Keita’s duet album 'Soar' won ‘Best Fusion’ album in the Songlines Music Awards and the fRoots Critics Album of the Year for 2018.

The Trials Of Cato won Best Emerging Artist/Band at the first Wales Folk Awards in April.

Last month Lisa played at Cork City Culture Night at Vertigo in County Hall, and followed that with a performance as part of Tradition Now in early October 5 at Dublin's National Concert Hall, Dublin. She will meanwhile play the Púca festival in Drogheda, which takes place in the Co Louth town from October 31 to November 2.

Separately it has been announced that Dervish will received a Lifetime Achievement Award at tonight's awards ceremony.

Dervish are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year with an album called 'The Great Irish Songbook' released on Rounder. It was premiered last month at a special concert involving Imelda May, David Gray, Kate Rusby and actor Brendan Gleeson at the London Palladium.
Last year’s Radio 2 Folk Awards, which took place in Belfast, saw performances by Cara Dillon, Paul Brady, Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, Lankum and the Armagh Pipers Club. Music legend Van Morrison also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to musician and producer Dónal Lunny for his massive contribution to folk music.

The 2019 awards ceremony will be presented by Mark Radcliffe and will welcome an array of guests performances from new and established artists including Dervish, Welsh-Senegalese duo Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita and Edward II, Anglo-Caribbean fusioneers from Manchester.

The award ceremony will be broadcast live tonight from 7-9pm on BBC Radio 2 and on the BBC Sounds app.