The Folk Album Of The Year Award has revealed its first ever shortlist, made up of LPs released in Britain and Ireland in 2025.
Folk legend Peggy Seeger makes the inaugural award shortlist at the age of 90 with Teleology, which has been billed as her “absolutely final album”.
The shortlist also includes albums by Poor Creature, Grace Stewart Skinner, Barry Kerr, Joshua Burnside, Cynefin, Spafford Campbell, Gigspanner Big Band and Edith WeUtonga.
The eventual Award winner will be unveiled at a ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall on March 17, 2026. The livestreamed event will feature performances from nominees who will play to an invited audience of 200 musicians and industry professionals, as well as viewers around the world.
The album submission process received 146 entries. The shortlist was selected by a jury of performers, music and media professionals, chaired by folk singer-songwriter and executive producer of BBC Radio 2’s The Folk Show, Kellie While.
The award has been created by music charity Sound Roots and the award-winning podcast Folk On Foot, hosted by broadcaster Matthew Bannister.
Each nominated album will be showcased in a nine-part Folk On Foot series, published daily from December 3-11, 2025.
David Agnew, chief executive and artistic director of Sound Roots, said: "In our inaugural year, we’ve been bowled over by the incredible breadth of submissions from across Britain and Ireland. As we look ahead, we're already planning how to celebrate even more exceptional folk releases. For now, we're excited to present these outstanding works to the world and to gather in Rochdale Town Hall this March to celebrate the vibrant folk community."
Matthew Bannister, founder and host of Folk on Foot, said: “This amazing shortlist of albums by incredible musicians from such a wide range of backgrounds and ages shows just how vibrant the contemporary folk scene in Britain and Ireland is. It’s impossible not to be hugely excited, inspired and uplifted by this constellation of talent.”
Kellie While, chair of the Sound Roots Board and jury chair, added: “We are so grateful to our jury who have worked tirelessly and with passion over the last two weeks. It was an incredibly difficult job as there were a huge number of albums considered that very much deserve recognition. The nine albums show how vibrant and exciting this year has been for folk music in Britain and Ireland and we cannot wait for new audiences to discover these brilliant releases.”
The Folk Album Of The Year Award is supported by Rochdale Development Agency and forms a key part of Rochdale’s 2026 Town of Culture celebrations.
Folk Album Of The Year Award 2025 shortlist:
All Smiles Tonight – Poor Creature
Teleology – Peggy Seeger
Auchies Spikkin' Auchie – Grace Stewart Skinner
Curlew's Cry – Barry Kerr
Teeth of Time – Joshua Burnside
Shimli – Cynefin
Tomorrow Held – Spafford Campbell
Turnstone - Gigspanner Big Band
Varipasi – Edith WeUtonga
