Welsh Music Prize

Not to be confused with Welsh-language album of the year.

2024 Welsh Music Prize event taking place in the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

The Welsh Music Prize (Welsh : Gwobr Gerddoriaeth Gymreig) is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from Wales, as voted for by members of the music industry based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. 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 sometimes 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. Prior to this, the short-lived Welsh Music Awards between 2001 and 2004 also had a Best Album category, with the 2005 Pop Factory Awards only nominating Welsh artists, possibly in response to the awards ceasing.

Eligibility criteria

The long list and short list is chosen each year from new albums of original, previously unreleased work, that have been made available for the first time during the 12 months up to 31 July each year. The artist, or at least 50% of a group's core members, must be born in Wales. Alternatively the artist or group must have had their creative base in Wales for at least 3 years. ^{[3] [4]}

Winners and shortlisted nominees

Year	Shortlisted nominees - Winner in BOLD	NOTES
2011	Al Lewis – In the Wake Colorama – Box Gruff Rhys – Hotel Shampoo [5] 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	INAUGURAL EVENT
2012	Bright Light Bright Light – Make Me Believe in Hope Cate Le Bon – Cyrk Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog – Draw Dros Y Mynydd Exit International – Black Junk Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense [5] 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
2013	Euros Childs – Summer Special Fist of the First Man – Fist of the First Man Georgia Ruth – Week of Pines 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
2014	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 Joanna Gruesome – Weird Sister Manic Street Preachers – Futurology Samoans – Rescue Slowly Rolling Camera – Slowly Rolling Camera The Gentle Good – Y Bardd Anfarwol The People The Poet – The Narrator
2015	Calan – Dinas Catfish and the Bottlemen – The Balcony Geraint Jarman – Dwyn yr Hogyn Nol Gwenno – Y Dydd Olaf [6] 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
2016	9Bach – Anian Alun Gaffey – Alun Gaffey Cate Le Bon – Crab Day Climbing Trees – Borders Datblygu – Porwr Trallod Plu – Tir a Golau Meilyr Jones – 2013 [7] 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
2017	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 The Gentle Good – Ruins/Adfeilion [8]
2018	Alex Dingley – Beat the Babble Astroid Boys – Broke Boy Azooga – 1, 2, Kung Fu! [9] 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
2019	Accü – Echo the Red Adwaith – Melyn [10] [11] 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
2020	Ani Glass – Mirores Colorama – Chaos Wonderland Cotton Wolf – Ofni Deyah – Care City 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
2021	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 Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song Mace The Great – My Side Of The Bridge Novo Amor – Cannot Be, Whatsover Private World – Aleph Pys Melyn – Bywyd Llonydd
2022	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
2023	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 Rogue Jones - Dos Bebés [12] Sister Wives – Y Gawres Stella Donnelly – Flood Sŵnami – Sŵnamii YNYS – Ynys
2024	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 L E M F R E C K – BLOOD, SWEAT & FEARS [13] Mellt – Dim Dwywaith Pys Melyn – Bolmynydd Skindred – Smile Slate – Deathless YNYS – Dosbarth Nos	Ceremony date: 8 October 2024 Venue: Wales Millennium Centre [13] Presenters: Sian Eleri, Huw Stephens
2025	Adwaith – Solas [4] Breichiau Hir - Y Dwylo Uwchben Buddug - Rhwng Gwyll a Gwawr Cerys Hafana - Difrisg (instrumental) Don Leisure – Tyrchu Sain [14] Gwenno - Utopia Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate KEYS - Acid Communism Melin Melyn - Mill on The Hill Panic Shack - Panic Shack Sage Todz - Stopia Cwyno Siula - Night Falls on the World Tai Haf Heb Drigolyn - Ein Albwm Cyntaf Ni The Gentle Good - Elan The Tubs - Cotton Crown	Ceremony date: 6 October 2024 Venue: Wales Millennium Centre [14] Presenters: Sian Eleri, Huw Stephens

Most-nominated artists

Artist	Nominations	Winner
Gruff Rhys	7	1
Cate Le Bon	5	0
Georgia Ruth	4	1
Gwenno	4	1
Manic Street Preachers	4	0
Adwaith	3	2
Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18	3	0
The Gentle Good	3	1
Sweet Baboo	3	0
HMS Morris	3	0
Kelly Lee Owens	3	1
Breichiau Hir	2	0
Bryde	2	0
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard	2	0
Cerys Hafana	2	0
Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog	2	0
Datblygu	2	0
Deyah	2	1
Don Leisure	2	0
Euros Childs	2	0
Future of the Left	2	1
Islet	2	0
L E M F R E C K	2	1
Lleuwen	2	0
Right Hand Left Hand	2	0
Trwbador	2	0
Mellt	2	0
Ynys	2	0
Skindred	2	0
Pys Melyn	2	0

References

1. "Catfish and The Bottlemen, Joanna Gruesome lead Welsh Music Prize nominees - NME". NME . 2017-07-29. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
2. "WELSH MUSIC PRIZE 2016: THE SHORTLIST". Recordoftheday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
3. "Eligibility criteria". Welsh Music Prize. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
4. Cath Holland (26 August 2025). "Welsh Music Prize 2025 shortlist – Adwaith, The Gentle Good, KEYS, Don Leisure, Sage Todz". God Is in the TV . Retrieved 12 October 2025.
5. "Winners – WMP". Welshmusicprize.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
6. "Gwenno wins Welsh Music Prize 2015". BBC Wales. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
7. "Welsh Music Prize shortlist for 2016 unveiled". BBC News. 2016-09-08. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
8. "The Gentle Good wins Welsh Music Prize 2017". BBC News. 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
9. "Boy Azooga win Welsh Music Prize". BBC News. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
10. "Tweet". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
11. "Welsh Music Prize won by Carmarthen trio Adwaith". BBC News. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
12. "Welsh Music Prize 2023 winner announced as Rogue Jones". BBC News. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
13. Ben Beaumont-Thomas (9 October 2024). "Underground rapper Lemfreck wins 2024 Welsh music prize". The Guardian . Retrieved 11 October 2025.
14. "Don Leisure wins Welsh Music Prize 2025 for album Tyrchu Sain". Nation.Cymru . 7 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.

External links

• Official website