RTÉ has announced the nominees for the 2026 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, with the ceremony set to take place at Dublin’s Vicar Street on Tuesday, 10 November
Nominees for Best Folk Group include An Chéad Ghlúin Eile, Beoga, Lemoncello, Poor Creature and Ye Vagabonds.
The Best Folk Album category features works by Jillian O’Malley, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, Barry Kerr, lullahush, Joshua Burnside and Beoga.
Clare Sands, Dove Ellis, Rua Rí, Barry Kerr and Lisa O’Neill are nominated for Best Original Folk Track, while the Best Traditional Folk Track category includes entries from The Railway Boys, Tríona and Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, Rattling Ark, Macdara Yeates, Cormac Begley and Liam O’Connor, and Damien Dempsey.
The late Dolores Keane enters the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame
Barry Kerr, Clare Sands, Joshua Burnside, Lisa O’Neill and Macdara Yeates make the shortlist for Best Folk Singer, while Caroline Keane, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, Jack Talty, Seán McKeon and Ultan O’Brien are nominated for Best Folk Instrumentalist.
Nominees for Best Emerging Artist are Ellie O’Neill, Leevy, Rua Rí and The Railway Boys.
.The eighth annual awards will be hosted once again by John Creedon, with the event broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 from 8pm. A television highlights programme will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Saturday, 14 November.
Tommy Sands will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his career as a folk singer, songwriter, broadcaster and social activist.
Sands first gained international recognition as a member of The Sands Family, performing at venues including Carnegie Hall in New York and Moscow’s Olympic Stadium.
Widely regarded as a significant cultural voice during Northern Ireland’s peace process, Tommy’s songwriting has often reflected the realities of conflict and reconciliation. His acclaimed song There Were Roses remains one of the most enduring musical responses to the conflict.
The awards will also honour the late Dolores Keane, who died in March this year, with her induction into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame.
Performers at the ceremony will include Beoga, The Unthanks, Declan O’Rourke, Edwina Guckian, Joshua Burnside and Jillian O’Malley, alongside other musicians.
Tickets for the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards ceremony at Dublin’s Vicar Street on Tuesday, 10 November are now on sale via Ticketmaster.ie.
The nominations for the 8th RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, 2026, in full:
BEST ORIGINAL FOLK TRACK
ANAM CARA – Clare Sands
HEAVEN HAS NO WINGS – Dove Ellis
JOHNNY WORKMAN – Rua Rí
THE CURLEW’S CRY – Barry Kerr
THE WIND DOESN’T BLOW THIS FAR RIGHT – Lisa O’Neill
BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK TRACK
AMHRÁN NA SCADÁN – The Railway Boys
CAD É SIN DON TÉ SIN – Tríona & Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill
COLERAINE JIG – Rattling Ark
DE MAY BUSH – Macdara Yeates
RYAN’S RANT – Cormac Begley & Liam O’Connor THE MICKEY DAM – Damien Dempsey
BEST FOLK SINGER
BARRY KERR
CLARE SANDS
JOSHUA BURNSIDE
LISA O’NEILL
MACDARA YEATES
BEST FOLK INSTRUMENTALIST
CAROLINE KEANE
CIARÁN Ó MAONAIGH
JACK TALTY
SEÁN MCKEON
ULTAN O’BRIEN
BEST FOLK GROUP
AN CHÉAD GHLÚIN EILE
BEOGA
LEMONCELLO
POOR CREATURE
YE VAGABONDS
BEST FOLK ALBUM
AN BHEARNA BHÁN – Jillian O’Malley
CAILLTE SA CHEOL – Ciarán Ó Maonaigh
CURLEW’S CRY – Barry Kerr
ITHACA – lullahush
IT’S NOT GOING TO BE OKAY – Joshua Burnside
PHASES – Beoga
BEST EMERGING ARTIST
ELLIE O’NEILL
LEEVY
RUA RÍ
THE RAILWAY BOYS