Welsh Music Prize Explained

Welsh Music Prize should not be confused with Welsh-language album of the year.

The Welsh Music Prize is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from Wales, as voted for by members of the music industry. It was founded by music promoter John Rostron and radio presenter Huw Stephens in 2011.^[1] It was originally scheduled to take place alongside Sŵn music festival in Cardiff but now takes place later in the year.^[2]

Prior to the awards, Welsh TV Show The Pop Factory held its own award ceremony between 2003 and 2007. From 2004 onwards the Best Album category was won by a Welsh artist, therefore allowing this to be seen as a spiritual pre-successor of the awards, although this was by a public vote and not a judging panel.

Winners and shortlisted nominees

Year	Winner	Shortlisted nominees
2010–11	Gruff Rhys – Hotel Shampoo[3]	Al Lewis – In the Wake Colorama – Box Lleuwen Steffan – Tân Manic Street Preachers – Postcards from a Young Man Stagga – The Warm Air Room Sweet Baboo – I'm a Dancer/Songs About Sleepin The Blackout – Hope The Gentle Good – Tethered for the Storm The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar Y Niwl – Y Niwl Funeral for a Friend – Welcome Home Armageddon
2011–12	Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense	Bright Light Bright Light – Make Me Believe in Hope Cate Le Bon – Cyrk Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog – Draw Dros Y Mynydd Exit International – Black Junk Huw M – Gathering Dusk Islet – Illuminated People Jodie Marie – Mountain Echo Kids in Glass Houses – In Gold Blood Kutosis – Fanatical Love Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness Truckers of Husk – Accelerated Learning
2012–13	Georgia Ruth – Week of Pines	Euros Childs – Summer Special Fist of the First Man – Fist of the First Man Laurence Made Me Cry – The Diary of Me Little Arrow – Wild Wishes Metabeats – Caviar Crackle Neon Neon – Praxis Makes Perfect Race Horses – Furniture Sweet Baboo – Ships Trwbador – Trwbador Winter Villains – February Zervas and Pepper – Lifebringer
2013–14	Joanna Gruesome – Weird Sister	9 Bach – Tincian Cate Le Bon – Mug Museum Euros Childs – Situation Comedy Future of the Left – How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident Gruff Rhys – American Interior Gulp – Season Sun Manic Street Preachers – Futurology Samoans – Rescue Slowly Rolling Camera – Slowly Rolling Camera The Gentle Good – Y Bardd Anfarwol The People The Poet – The Narrator
2014–15	Gwenno – Y Dydd Olaf[4]	Calan – Dinas Catfish and the Bottlemen – The Balcony Geraint Jarman – Dwyn yr Hogyn Nol H. Hawkline – In the Pink of Condition Hippies vs Ghosts – Droogs Houdini Dax – Naughty Nation Joanna Gruesome – Peanut Butter Keys – Ring the Changes Paper Aeroplanes – Joy Richard James – All the New Highways Tender Prey – Organ Calzone Trwbador – Several Wolves Zarelli – Soft Rains Zefur Wolves – Zefur Wolves
2015–16	Meilyr Jones – 2013[5]	9Bach – Anian Alun Gaffey – Alun Gaffey Cate Le Bon – Crab Day Climbing Trees – Borders Datblygu – Porwr Trallod Plu – Tir a Golau Right Hand Left Hand – Right Hand Left Hand Simon Love – It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time Skindred – Volume Sŵnami – Sŵnami The Anchoress – Confessions of a Romance Novelist
2016–17	The Gentle Good – Ruins/Adfeilion[6]	Baby Queens – Baby Queens Bendith (Plu and Colorama) – Bendith Cotton Wolf – Life in Analogue H. Hawkline – I Romanticize Toby Hay – The Gathering HMS Morris – Interior Design Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard – Y Proffwyd Dwyll Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens Gruff Rhys – Set Fire to the Stars Georgia Ruth – Fossil Scale Sweet Baboo – Wild Imagination
2017–18	Boy Azooga – 1, 2, Kung Fu![7]	Alex Dingley – Beat the Babble Astroid Boys – Broke Boy Azooga – 1, 2, Kung Fu! Bryde – Like an Island Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita – Soar Eugene Capper & Rhodri Brooks – Pontvane Gwenno – Le Kov Gruff Rhys – Babelsberg Manic Street Preachers – Resistance Is Futile Mellt – Mae'n Hawdd Pan Ti'n Ifanc Seazoo – Trunks Toby Hay – The Longest Day
2018–19	Adwaith – Melyn[8] [9]	Accü – Echo the Red Audiobooks – Now! (in a minute) Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 – Joia	Cate Le Bon – Reward Deyah – Lover Loner Estrons – You Say I'm Too Much I Say You're Not Enough HMS Morris – Inspirational Talks Lleuwen – Gwn Glân Beibl Budr Lucas J Rowe – Touchy Love Mr – Oesoedd Vrï – Tŷ Ein Tadau
2019–20	Deyah – Care City	Ani Glass – Mirores Colorama – Chaos Wonderland Cotton Wolf – Ofni Don Leisure – Steel Zakuski Georgia Ruth – Mai Gruff Rhys – Pang! Islet – Eyelet Keys – Bring Me The Head Of Jerry Garcia Kidsmoke - A Vision In The Dark Los Blancos – Sbwriel Gwyn Luke RV – Valley Boy Right Hand Left Hand – Zone Rouge Silent Forum - Everything Solved At Once Yr Ods – Iaith y Nefoedd
2020–21	Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song	Afro Cluster – The Reach The Anchoress – The Art Of Losing Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 – Mas Datblygu – Cwm Gwagle El Goodo – Zombie Gruff Rhys – Seeking New Gods Gwenifer Raymond – Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain Mace The Great – My Side Of The Bridge Novo Amor – Cannot Be, Whatsover Private World – Aleph Pys Melyn – Bywyd Llonydd
2021–22	Adwaith – Bato Mato	Art School Girlfriend – Is It Light Where You Are Breichiau Hir – Hir Oes I'r Cof Bryde – Still Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – Backhand Deals Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales – Yn Rio Cate Le Bon – Pompeii Danielle Lewis – Dreaming in Slow Motion Dead Method – Future Femme Don Leisure – Shaboo Strikes Back Gwenno – Tresor L E M F R E C K – The Pursuit Manic Street Preachers – The Ultra Vivid Lament Papur Wal – Amser Mynd Adra Sywel Nyw – Deuddeg
2022–23	Rogue Jones - Dos Bebés[10]	Cerys Hafana – Edyf CVC – Get Real Dafydd Owain – Uwch Dros Y Pysgod H. Hawkline – Milk for Flowers Hyll – Sŵn O’r Stafell Arall Ivan Moult – Songs from Severn Grove John Cale – Mercy Mace the Great – SplottWorld Minas – All My Love Has Failed Me Overmono – Good Lies Sister Wives – Y Gawres Stella Donnelly – Flood Sŵnami – Sŵnamii YNYS – Ynys
2023–24	L E M F R E C K – BLOOD, SWEAT & FEARS	Aleighcia Scott – Windrush Baby ANGHARAD – Motherland Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – Skinwalker CHROMA – Ask for Angela Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog – Mynd â'r Tŷ Am Dro Elkka – Prism of Pleasure Georgia Ruth – Cool Head Gruff Rhys – Sadness Sets Me Free HMS Morris – Dollar Lizard Money Zombie Mellt – Dim Dwywaith Pys Melyn – Bolmynydd Skindred – Smile Slate – Deathless YNYS – Dosbarth Nos

Most-nominated artists

Artist	Nominations	Winner
	7	1
	5	0
	4	1
	4	0
	3	0
	3	1
	3	1
	3	0
HMS Morris	3	0
	2	2
Deyah	2	1
	2	0
	2	1
	2	0
	2	0
	2	1
Lleuwen	2	0
Right Hand Left Hand	2	0
	2	0
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard	2	0
	2	0
Mellt	2	0
Ynys	2	0
	2	0
Pys Melyn	2	0

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2017-07-29. Catfish and The Bottlemen, Joanna Gruesome lead Welsh Music Prize nominees - NME. NME. 2021-04-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20170729065617/http://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-745-1224136. 2017-07-29.
2. Web site: WELSH MUSIC PRIZE 2016: THE SHORTLIST. 2021-04-28. Recordoftheday.com.
3. Web site: Winners – WMP. Welshmusicprize.com. 2021-04-28. en-US.
4. Web site: Gwenno wins Welsh Music Prize 2015 . 29 November 2015. 26 November 2015. BBC Wales.
5. News: 2016-09-08. Welsh Music Prize shortlist for 2016 unveiled. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-04-28.
6. News: 2017-10-20. The Gentle Good wins Welsh Music Prize 2017. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-04-28.
7. News: 2018-11-07. Boy Azooga win Welsh Music Prize. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-04-28.
8. Web site: Tweet . Twitter.com. 2021-06-25.
9. News: 2019-11-27. Welsh Music Prize won by Carmarthen trio Adwaith. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-04-28.
10. News: Welsh Music Prize 2023 winner announced as Rogue Jones . 11 October 2023 . BBC News . 10 October 2023.