The second annual Irish Music Awards were presented by the Irish Music Association on January 27 at O’Malley’s Pub in Weston, Missouri. Harpist and singer Orla Fallon, formerly of Celtic Woman and Anuna, won awards in all four categories in which she was nominated. Irish folk musician Donal Lunny — who has been a part of such groups as Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts and Mozaik, played on a number of Christy Moore albums, and has produced albums for other artists — was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. A complete list of award recipients follows:
Top Solo Performer in Concert: Orla Fallon
Top Solo Performer in a Pub Venue: Seamus Kennedy
Top Duo in Pub, Festival, and Concert: Ellis Island
Top Group: Celtic Woman
Best New Irish Music Artist(s): Cara
Top Celtic Rock Band: Screaming Orphans
Best Irish Tenor (individual): Anthony Kearns
Best Female Vocalist (individual/traditional): Orla Fallon
Best Sean-nos Singer: Brian O’hAirt
Top Traditional Performance Show: The High Kings
Top Traditional Group – In Festival, Pub & Concert: Bua
Tommy Makem Award: Orla Fallon
Top Harpist: Orla Fallon
Top Uilleann Piper: John McSherry
Top Fiddle: Maired Nesbitt
Top Button Accordion: John Whelan
Lifetime Achievement Award: Donal Lunny
The Irish Music Association produces, promotes and perpetuates Irish music through sponsored events, festivals, concerts, pub shows, and an annual network production, according to its website.
In other Celtic music news, singer-songwriter Tommy Sands’ Let The Circle Be (Appleseed Recordings), which also features Moya and Fiona Sands, was recently named the 2009 Celtic Connections “Album of the Year” by Bryan Kelso Crow, host of the nationally syndicated public radio program that originates from the studios of WSIU at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
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