Welsh Music Prize 2025 shortlist announced

2024 Welsh Music Prize Winner Lemfreck (Credit: WMP)

The shortlist for the Welsh Music Prize 2025 has been announced, with 15 artists in the running once again for the prestigious award and £10,000 prize money. Molly Palmer announced the list on BBC Radio Wales in her Tuesday evening show ahead of the award ceremony in October.

There was as ever a stacked longlist which was whittled down by the judges to just 15 albums. The Welsh Music Prize will also be accompanied once again by The Triskel Award which is an award presented annually at the Welsh Music Prize ceremony to three emerging artists from Wales. Supported by the charity Help Musicians, the award provides recipients with vital resources and guidance to help them develop and advance their music careers.

Artists up for the prize include established acts like Adwaith, who are nominated for their 2025 album Solas.

Adwaith have won the award twice and are looking to bag a historic third. They are nominated alongside fellow previous prize winner, Gwenno with her latest album Utopia. 2017 winner, The Gentle Good is shortlisted with this year’s Elan as well as 2021 winner Kelly Lee Owens for her new album, Dreamstate.

Notable debut albums also make the list – alongside Panic Shack’s self-titled debut, which reached the number 1 spot on the Official Rock & Metal Album Chart; are Tai Haf Heb Drigolyn with Ein Albwm Cyntaf Ni, solo singer-songwriter Buddug with Rhwng Gwyll a Gwawr, Cardiff electro pop artists Siula with their dreamy debut, Night Falls on the World and psych-rock group Melin Melyn with Mill on The Hill.

Other projects nominated include Acid Communism, the eighth album from long-established band KEYS from Neath, who were shortlisted once previously, in 2020 and harpist and composer Cerys Hafana’s instrumental album, Difrisg.

Welsh language music is shining brighter than ever and it proves itself strongly on this list with Cardiff-based producer Don Leisure’s deep-dive into Welsh indie folk label archives, Tyrchu Sain; rap artist Sage Todz with Stopia Cwyno and alt-rockers Breichiau Hir nominated with their powerful and game-changing Welsh language rock album, Y Dwylo Uwchben.

Founded 15 years ago in 2011, the Welsh Music Prize will mark the milestone with BBC Cymru Wales commissioning a special highlights programme of the 2025 event which will also explore the prize’s impact on the Welsh music scene over the past 15 years. The programme will air after this year’s ceremony on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer.

The winner of the 2025 Welsh Music Prize will be announced at a ceremony held at the Wales Millennium Centre on Monday October 6th hosted by Radio 1’s Sian Eleri. The event will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru with live performances by a selection of shortlisted artists. Tickets are available here at £10 adult/£8 under 30s.

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 6-12 October.

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

Huw Stephens (Credit: S4C)

The prize is given for an album release within the preceding year by a Welsh artist, with the inaugural Welsh Music prize being awarded to Gruff Rhys for his third solo album, Hotel Shampoo.

Last year’s Welsh Music Prize winner was L E M F R E C K with his bold and creative three-part 2023 album Blood, Sweat & Fears.

Welsh Music Prize co-founder, Huw Stephens said: “For the 15th year running the Welsh Music Prize will celebrate these great albums in a special night. We’re very happy that everyone will get to see the night on BBC One Wales and iPlayer this year too. The longlist and subsequent shortlist of albums is a yearly reminder of the great music and albums from Wales.”

Welsh Music Prize Shortlist 2025

The selected judges will meet to discuss and decide their favourite album from the list which will then be revealed at the end of the ceremony. Every year is a joyous celebration of the best music in Wales and each year the Shortlist is incredibly strong.

This year’s judges are:

• Sofia Ilyas, Chief Community Officer at Beatport Gallery.

• Roisin O’Connor, music editor for The Independent and host of the Good Vibrations

  podcast.

• DJ and BBC Radio Wales presenter, Molly Palmer,

• BBC 6 Music presenter, DJ and writer, Zakia Sewell,

• Natalia Quiros Edmunds, music journalist and artist manager at Arctic Monkeys and

• Fontaines DC management company, Wildlife Entertainment

• The Guardian music critic and author, Jude Rogers.

• Davie Morgan, writer and marketing manager at Welsh culture and music magazine, Radar.

• Tim Jonze, associate editor, culture at the Guardian.

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

Welsh Music Prize 2025 Shortlist:

1. Adwaith – Solas

2. Buddug – Rhwng Gwyll a Gwawr

3. Breichiau Hir – Y Dwylo Uwchben

4. Cerys Hafana – Difrisg

5. Don Leisure – Tyrchu Sain

6. Gwenno – Utopia

7. Kelly Lee Owens- Dreamstate

8. KEYS – Acid Communism

9. Melin Melyn – Mill on the Hill

10. Panic Shack – Panic Shack

11. Sage Todz – Stopia Cwyno

12. Siula – Night Falls on the World

13. Tai Haf Heb Drigolyn – Ein Albwm Cyntaf Ni

14. The Gentle Good – Elan

15. The Tubs – Cotton Crown