NO REPRO FEE The winners at the 8th RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards were announced this evening in front of a live audience in Vicar Street, Dublin, live on RTÉ Radio 1 and the RTÉ Listen app. Hosted by RTÉ's John Creedon, the Awards celebrate the very best in Irish folk music. A television highlights programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Saturday 14th November. Winners at the awards included Barry Kerr (two awards), Beoga, Macdara Yeates, Ultan O'Brien, Joshua Burnside, and Rua Rí. President Connolly announced the formal induction of Dolores Keane into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame, while Tommy Sands received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. Pictured at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards are: Rua Rí performs at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards. Photo: Kinlan Photography.
Cobh singer-songwriter Rua Rí (Seán Damery) was crowned Best Emerging Artist at the 2026 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, held at Vicar Street in Dublin on Tuesday night (10 November).
The prestigious win marks another major milestone in a breakthrough year for the rising Irish folk artist, who was also nominated for Best Original Folk Track for “Johnny Workman”, taken from his acclaimed debut album Tell Your Mother I Saved Your Life, released in May via Soft Boy Records.
Produced by Kean Kavanagh, the album has earned widespread praise from Hot Press, The Irish Times, Clash, Nialler9 and more, establishing Rua Rí as one of the most exciting new voices in Ireland’s contemporary folk scene.
The award comes amid a busy run of live dates, with Rua Rí currently on his first Irish headline tour, culminating in a sold-out show at The Workman’s Club, Dublin, on 18 November. He will then head to the UK for shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London, before returning to Ireland for Other Voices in Dingle later this month.
December will see Rua Rí join Madra Salach for a run of shows across Ireland, including Dublin’s Vicar Street, Galway’s Leisureland and Cork’s Cyprus Avenue, alongside a special guest appearance with acclaimed Irish folk group Beoga at The Workman’s Club, Dublin, on 13 December.
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Photo credit: Tony Kinlan.
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