Pipes to the fore in 2021 Scots Trad Music noms

From John Dew’s nomination for Up and Coming Artist of the Year, to Craig Muirhead’s Music Tutor of the Year nod, to the nomination of Gnoss and Connor Sinclair for Album of the Year, to Callum MacCrimmon and Breabach for Original Work of the Year, Highland pipers are all over the 2021 Scots Trad Music Awards.

In a year that saw most of piping shut down in Scotland due to the pandemic, several of the world’s best exponents of the art carried on with teaching and recordings, proving that the noble instrument can’t be stopped.

The annual Scots Trad Music Awards were started in 2003 and rounds out the year of traditional music each December with a gala evening at a different location in the country. The awards “highlight Scotland’s wonderful traditional music in all its forms and to create a high profile opportunity which will bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and public attention.”

Dew, Muirhead and Sinclair are three of competitive piping’s best known players, and MacCrimmon, originally from Canada, is the hereditary piper in the MacCrimmon dynasty.

“I’m still as high as a kite from the good news,” Dew said. “It’s an honour and a delight to be named in and amongst some amazing talent in Scotland right now. I was so chuffed to be nominated, that hard work is paying off!”

I’m still as high as a kite from the good news. – John Dew

He’s had a busy few years, producing a collection of music and a full length recording, while pursuing a career as a classical music composer.

Craig Muirhead also put out a collection last year and has a career teaching piping at Strathallan School, near Perth.

“2021 has been my busiest year yet,” he said. “I started the year launching the Lockdown Piping Club to help people get through COVID-19 restrictions and we’ve had over 5,000 sign-ups. Then we launched the Department of Traditional Music and Scottish Culture at Strathallan. The Trad Award nomination is the icing on the cake, so I’d like to thank everyone who nominated me and anyone who fancies giving me their vote.”

Connor Sinclair of Crieff continues to see his performing and competing career in piping ascend. Fresh off another appearance at the 2021 Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championship, his Celtic folk band Gnoss put of The Light of the Moon, the group’s second album and first Scots Trad Music nomination.

You can cast your votes here until midnight GMT, November 14th.

The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards annual Gala is on December 4th at the Engine Works in Glasgow, broadcast live on BBC ALBA at 9pm GMT.

Dew and Muirhead, along with Ross Miller and Kyle Warren, were part of pipes|drums’ three-part Young Composers’ Forum in January of this year.

Good luck to all pipers with 2021 Scots Trad Music nominations!

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