Zim’s Edith WeUtonga shortlisted for 2025 Folk Album of the Year Award

Her forthcoming album Varipasi, due for release on 9 December, earned her a place on a list that spans multiple generations, traditions and stylistic approaches across Britain and Ireland.

WeUtonga is a vocalist, bassist and composer known for blending Afro-jazz with traditional Zimbabwean influences. Her inclusion adds an international dimension to a shortlist otherwise dominated by artists rooted in British and Irish folk traditions.

The award, created by the music charity Sound Roots in partnership with the podcast Folk on Foot, drew 146 submissions. A jury of performers and media professionals selected the nine shortlisted albums, chaired by singer-songwriter Kellie While, who also leads the Sound Roots Board.

“We are so grateful to our jury who have worked tirelessly and with passion over the last two weeks,” While said. “It was an incredibly difficult job as there were a huge number of albums considered that very much deserve recognition. The nine albums show how vibrant and exciting this year has been for folk music in Britain and Ireland and we cannot wait for new audiences to discover these brilliant releases.”

The shortlist ranges from emerging artists to established figures. Each shortlisted album will be featured in a nine-part Folk on Foot series from 3 to 11 December. The winner will be announced at Rochdale Town Hall on 17 March 2026 during a live-streamed ceremony attended by musicians and industry professionals. The event forms part of Rochdale’s 2026 Town of Culture celebrations and is supported by the Rochdale Development Agency.

Sound Roots chief executive and artistic director David Agnew said the volume and range of submissions reflected the strength of the sector. “In our inaugural year, we’ve been bowled over by the incredible breadth of submissions from across Britain and Ireland. As we look ahead, we're already planning how to celebrate even more exceptional folk releases. For now, we're excited to present these outstanding works to the world and to gather in Rochdale Town Hall this March to celebrate the vibrant folk community.”

Folk on Foot founder and host Matthew Bannister described the shortlist as evidence of a flourishing contemporary scene. “This amazing shortlist of albums by incredible musicians from such a wide range of backgrounds and ages shows just how vibrant the contemporary folk scene in Britain and Ireland is. It’s impossible not to be hugely excited, inspired and uplifted by this constellation of talent.”

Shortlisted albums

• Varipasi – Edith WeUtonga
• All Smiles Tonight – Poor Creature
• Teleology – Peggy Seeger
• Auchies Spikkin' Auchie – Grace Stewart-Skinner
• Curlew’s Cry – Barry Kerr
• Teeth of Time – Joshua Burnside
• Shimli – Cynefin
• Tomorrow Held – Spafford Campbell
• Turnstone – Gigspanner Big Band