Welsh Music Prize 2024 shortlist unveiled

The shortlist for the Welsh Music Prize 2024 has been announced, with 15 artists in the running for the prestigious award and £10,000 prize money.  

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 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.

Familiar voices

Returning to the shortlist are 2013 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 â’r tŷ am dro.

The winner of the Welsh Music Prize 2024 will be announced at a ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter Sian Eleri, with live performances by a selection of shortlisted artists at the Wales Millennium Centre on Tuesday 8 October. Tickets are available here at £10 adult/£8 under 30s.

The event will mark the 14^th year of the prize, with last year’s being awarded to Carmarthenshire singer-songwriting duo Rogue Jones. The married couple, Ynyr Ifan and Bethan Mai, scooped the award for their second album Dos Bebés. Previous winners also include Gwenno, Adwaith, Kelly Lee Owens, Deyah and Boy Azooga. 

Welsh excellence

Established by BBC radio presenter Huw Stephens, the Welsh Music Prize is now an annual award celebrating the best music made in Wales or by Welsh people around the world.

Supported by Creative Wales, PRS for Music, PPL and Help Musicians, the prize event ceremony is also part of the Cardiff Music City Festival this autumn and marks the opening of Llais festival, taking place from 8-13 October. 

Speaking about the impact of the Welsh Music Prize on their careers, Ynyr Ifan and Bethan Mai of 2023 winners Rogue Jones discussed how the prize has allowed them to keep creating music and reach new audiences.

Ynyr said: Being awarded the Welsh Music Prize last year for our album Dos Bebés was a truly unforgettable moment. No-one makes music to win awards, we certainly didn’t, but having that acknowledgement from our peers and the judging panel was wonderful.

“The prize money will allow us to continue recording and releasing music. It’s an expense that’s sometimes difficult to justify when the cost of living is so high – so having the money to pay for making Dos Bebés and fund creating more music in future is invaluable.” 

Bethan added: “We don’t neccessarily fit the industry template which can mean getting our music heard can be tricky, but hopefully being able to add ‘Welsh Music Prize Winners 2023’ after our name will help get any new music we release in the future heard by more people and heard further afield.

“After all, that’s all we want by making music is for it to be heard and connected with and hopefully bring joy to the listener.”

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.”

This year’s judges are:

Caroline Cullen- Series Producer- Later…with Jools Holland / BBC Studios

CassKid – Broadcaster, DJ and music producer

Jude Rogers – Writer arts/culture for Guardian and Observer, Author

Molly Palmer – DJ / Radio Wales Presenter

Owain Elidir Williams – Founder of independent music website, Klust

Sofia Ilyas – Beatport/FLOAT

Tom Morgan – NME/Clash

Welsh Music Prize 2024 Shortlist: 

• Aleighcia Scott – Windrush Baby LISTEN
• Angharad – Motherland LISTEN
• Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – Skinwalker LISTEN
• CHROMA – Ask for Angela LISTEN
• Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog – Mynd â’r tŷ am dro LISTEN
• Elkka – Prism of Pleasure  LISTEN
• Georgia Ruth – Cool Head LISTEN
• Gruff Rhys – Sadness Sets Me Free LISTEN
• HMS Morris – Dollar Lizard Money Zombie LISTEN
• L E M F R E C K – BLOOD SWEAT & FEARS LISTEN
• Mellt – Dim Dwywaith LISTEN
• Pys Melyn – Bolmynydd  LISTEN
• Skindred – Smile LISTEN
• Slate – Deathless LISTEN
• Ynys – Dosbarth Nos LISTEN