Major New UK & Ireland Folk Album Award Launches Supported by Rochdale Development Agency

A new annual award, The Folk Album Of The Year Award, has been launched to celebrate the genre’s most artistically acclaimed albums released in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The award is supported by Rochdale Development Agency as part of a programme of music development and support activity in Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture. 

The Award will spotlight eight shortlisted albums released in 2025, with the overall winner unveiled at an inaugural ceremony featuring live performances from nominated artists. The live streamed event will take place at Rochdale Town Hall on Tuesday 17 March 2026 in front of an invited audience of 200 musicians and industry professionals.

Nominees will be selected by a distinguished panel of performers, music and media professionals, chaired by Executive Producer of BBC Radio 2’s ‘The Folk Show’, Kellie While. 

The full jury will be announced in the coming months, and the shortlisted albums revealed in November live from Rochdale Town Hall.

The Folk Album of the Year Award aims to showcase the breadth and diversity of the genre's community across all four nations of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, celebrating originality, artistic quality and cultural impact, regardless of commercial profile.

Submissions are now open to artists and their representatives, including labels and publishers, and will close at 23:59 on Sunday 31 October 2025.

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 spotlighted in its own album profile show on Folk on Foot as part of a special eight-part series in early December 2025. 

Karen Boardman, Music Development Manager at Rochdale Development Agency, stated Our Greater Manchester Town of Culture year is a great opportunity to spotlight Rochdale’s talented artists, musicians, bands and performers. It’s also a chance to bring exciting, new experiences and events to audiences across the borough. We are delighted to announce the first UK & Ireland Folk Album of the Year Award will be hosted here as part of a raft of music development work taking place across the borough. From emerging talent to established names watch as Rochdale’s creativity shines and inspires the entire music community throughout the year!

David Agnew, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sound Roots, said: “This Award is about celebrating the sheer breadth of creativity and artistic innovation in folk music today. We want to spotlight work that might otherwise go unheard, bringing brilliant new music to the widest possible audiences.”

Matthew Bannister, founder and host of Folk on Foot, commented: “While the Official Folk Albums Chart highlights the most popular artists, this Award goes deeper – seeking out the extraordinary, the innovative, and the inspiring. Whether you’ve topped the chart or sold just a handful of copies, if you’ve made a remarkable album, we want to hear from you.”

Kellie While, Chair of the Sound Roots Board and Jury Chair, added: “We’re excited to launch this Award and can’t wait to discover and celebrate the wealth of folk albums being made across the UK and Ireland. This is about supporting artists and championing the creativity at the heart of this vibrant scene. We’re thrilled to be bringing this important national celebration to Rochdale in its inaugural year ”

The Folk Album of the Year Award sits within Sound Roots’ wider programme of events, including Manchester Folk Festival and English Folk Expo (EFEx) – England’s leading folk industry conference and showcase. Sound Roots also delivers a range of networking, education and commercially focused initiatives designed to support, celebrate and connect the UK’s grassroots folk community.