| Scots Trad Music Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Scottish traditional music |
| Sponsored by | MG ALBA |
| Country | Scotland |
| Presented by | Hands Up for Trad |
| Hosted by |
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| First awarded | 2003 |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | BBC ALBA |
The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and public attention. Nominations are made by the public and in 2019 over 100,000 public votes were expected across 18 categories.[1]
The awards are organised by Thoumire's organisation Hands Up for Trad. Since 2008 the awards have been sponsored by MG Alba, and the event is televised on BBC Alba.
Since 2019 the ceremony has including the awarding of The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music, sponsored by Belhaven Brewery. The prize consists of £25,000, an ale brewed with the winner's name on it, an appearance at an event at Tartan Week in New York and the use of the winner's music in an advertising campaign. The cash prize is the largest music prize in Scotland, matched only by the Mercury Prize.[2]