Musicians on song at Scots awards
Stornaway superstars Peat and Diesel along with Lewis singer songwriter Josie Duncan were two of five winners originating from the Highlands and Islands at the recent MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
Trad trio Peat and Diesel scooped the award for best video for Calum Dan's Transit Van produced by Keith Morrison at Wee Studio.
‘We are delighted to have won Video of the Year,’ stated the band which comprises of Calum ‘Boydie’ MacLeod, Innes Scott and Uilly Macleod.
‘A big thanks to our label, sound engineer, friend, guide, janitor, organiser and now award-winning video creator Keith, who was willing to stand in the middle of a scrapyard with an expensive camera and pretend to be a road cone while Calum Dan was broadsides in the Transit!’
Keith commented on Twitter: ‘So it turns out I’m an award-winning video creator along with my best pals. Worth risking my life after all. Very proud indeed.’
The band were also nominated for Album of the Year, for Light my Byre, which was won by Hamish Napier Music with The Woods.
‘A massive thank you to everyone that supports not just us, but all the other musicians,' added the band. ‘It means the world and hopefully next year we will all put on a real good session to show our appreciation to you all because that’s the way we do it in the Western Isles.’
Josie Duncan was awarded the title of Music Tutor of the Year. Having been immersed in Glasgow’s fast moving traditional music scene for the past few years, where she studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Josie’s crystal clear voice is equally at home in Gaelic, Scots or English.
In 2017 Josie was awarded BBC Radio 2’s Young Folk Award alongside guitarist Pablo Lafuente. Josie is also the singer in Inyal, an innovative band combining intricate traditional instrumentation and Gaelic song with subtle electronic loops and beats.
‘Coming from the Isle of Lewis, I was encouraged from an early age to learn traditional songs. My mum conducted (and still conducts) a fantastic Gaelic choir and growing up around this music is something I will never take for granted,’ said Josie.
The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards was broadcast on BBC ALBA on Saturday, December 12 in a special programme named Na Trads 2020 and is available on the BBC iPlayer until January 11.
Tiree trad-rock outfit Skerryvore (Original Work of the Year), Harpist Rebecca Hill from Connel (Up and Coming artist of the Year) along with online ceilidh Tunes in the Hoose (Community Music Project of the Year), co-founded by Oban accordionist Martin MacLeod, also lifted one of the of 12 honours announced.