Established by BBC radio presenter Huw Stephens, the Welsh Music Prize is now an annual award celebrating the best new music from Wales.
Supported by Creative Wales, PRS for Music, PPL and Help Musicians, this year the ceremony is part of the Cardiff Music City Festival (27 September – 20 October) and also marks the opening of Llais festival, taking place from 8-13 October.
The Welsh Music Prize 2024 shortlist
Artists up for the prize include established acts like musician and composer Gruff Rhys, who is nominated for his 2024 album Sadness Sets Me Free. Gruff won the first Welsh Music Prize in 2011 for his album, Hotel Shampoo. He is nominated alongside long-running Newport metal band, Skindred, who are shortlisted for their current album, Smile, which reached number 2 in the UK charts.
A clutch of debut albums make the list this year including Welsh-Jamaican reggae musician Aleighcia Scott for her album Windrush Baby; Pontypridd alt-rock trio CHROMA for Ask for Angela; queer DJ and producer Elkka’s electronic dance album Prism of Pleasure; Swansea-based pop-folk storyteller Angharad with Motherland and gothic new-wave Cardiff band Slate with Deathless.
Returning to the shortlist are 2013’s winner Georgia Ruth with her fourth album of beguiling folk, Cool Head; Newport rapper and producer Lemfreck with his album Blood, Sweat & Fears; Aberystwyth four-piece Mellt with the Welsh language post-punk of Dim Dwywaith; the joyful, idiosyncratic pop of Dosbarth Nos from Ynys; psych rockers Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard with Skinwalker; garage-rock boppers HMS Morris with Dollar Lizard Money Zombie; Pen Llŷn’s Pys Melyn with the wistful psych of Bolmynydd and the sixth album from folk stalwarts Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog with Mynd a'r tŷ am dro.
The winner of the Welsh Music Prize 2024 will be announced at a ceremony at Wales Millennium Centre on Tuesday 8 October hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter Sian Eleri, with live performances by Aleighcia Scott, CHROMA, Gruff Rhys, HMS Morris, L E M F R E C K and Triskel winners Adjua, Wrkhouse and Voya. Tickets to the ceremony are now available.
The event will mark the 14th year of the prize, with last year’s being awarded to Carmarthenshire singer-songwriting duo Rogue Jones for the album Dos Bebés.
Welsh Music Prize co-founder, Huw Stephens said:
This year’s Welsh Music Prize Shortlist is a brilliant collection of albums. Artists from Wales continue to create beautiful, innovative, remarkable work which takes their music around the world. We are very grateful to Creative Wales for the support of this prize, which every music fan in Wales can be proud of.
Listen to Creative Cardiff’s Welsh Music Prize playlist!
Creative Cardiff
Creative Cardiff is delighted to be supporting the delivery of the Welsh Music Prize for the first time in 2024.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing Welsh Music Prize coverage on our channels through content, interviews and articles about this year’s shortlist and ceremony.
You’ll also see us at the ceremony on 8 October as we support the Welsh Music Prize team to deliver the ceremony.
Jess Mahoney, Head of Creative Cardiff, said:
2024 has been a bumper year for music in Cardiff with performances by global superstars including Taylor Swift, Pink and The Foo Fighters in the city helping drive visitor footfall and reinforce Cardiff’s reputation as a music destination. But alongside this success, we must ensure that we’re also developing our pipelines of future homegrown musical talent, and celebrating and protecting Wales’s rich grassroots music scene. Welsh Music Prize is a vitally important part of this narrative, creating an internationally significant platform to showcase musical talent from Wales. As such, Creative Cardiff are thrilled to be working with WMP in 2024 to support the delivery of this important event, and can’t wait to find out the winner on October 8.
Carys Bradley-Roberts, Creative Cardiff’s Operations and Engagement Manager, said:
The Welsh Music Prize has always been a highlight in Creative Cardiff’s cultural calendar. Not only is it the best way to discover new music made in Wales or by Welsh artists, it’s also vitally important that an event of this scale is delivered to showcase – on a national and international platform – the brilliant music that is coming out of Wales. Every year, I leave feeling excited and assured that the future of music in Wales is in very safe hands! We’re delighted that Creative Cardiff will be supporting the Welsh Music Prize team to deliver this year’s event.
Find out more about the Welsh Music Prize and get your tickets.
About Cardiff Music City Festival
Supported by Welsh Government and Cardiff Council, the Cardiff Music City Festival aims to attract 20,000 in its first year. Encompassing renowned new music festival Sŵn and Wales Millennium Centre’s international arts weekend, Llais, the festival will spread music throughout the city, challenging, exciting and inspiring fans across generations and genres.
The festival includes a full programme of local and international talent, including Leftfield / Orbital and Ms. Lauren Hill & The Fugees. Full line-up available on their website.
Creative Cardiff is also hosting a new music night with DJ Katie Owen as part of Cardiff Music City Festival, find out more.
Cardiff Music City Festival runs from 27 September – 20 October 2024.
