Successful Applicants 2025

Chair of the trustees Dave Cowing said: “As ever, it has been very hard to choose just four submissions to receive a grant. The quality of the shortlisted finalists was the highest ever.

“The four recipients represent just some of the immense talent in the sector. We feel that, as well as having a significant impact on their personal musical development, their projects will each bring value to the folk tradition which Alan was so proud to uphold.”

Find out more about the 2025 recipients:

Ceitidh Mac

Ceitidh will use her award to research and develop a scalable future for her live performance and audio documentary project SOUND WEAVE, which blends storytelling and folk music, including mixing and mastering the prototype for public release and mentoring.

Ceitidh said:

“I’m so grateful to the Alan Surtees Trust for their generous support. This grant will be vital for me to continue the research and development of SOUND WEAVE – a live show inspired by the idea of amplifying peoples own stories in their own words, woven together with music, song and field recordings. I’m incredibly excited to expand and grow this show. Huge thanks to Alan Surtees Trust for supporting this kind of work to continue!”

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Miguel Girão 

Miguel will use the grant to conclude recording his debut solo album, exploring fairy music from Scotland and Ireland and its relevance in folklore and the wider traditional music scene in the British Isles.

Miguel said:

“Receiving this award means a lot to me. It will allow me to push my career onwards by finalising my debut album, a combination of my solo and collaborative endeavours. This project delves deep into the music from the fairies and its relevance in modern times. I’m delighted to be able to record this music alongside musicians I truly admire and connect with!”

Website I YouTube l Instagram l Facebook l Spotify

Emily Ashberry

Emily has been funded to record and produce a debut album of bluegrass and Americana, examining connections between traditional English folk music and American roots and bluegrass

Emily said:

“I am thrilled to receive this grant from the Alan Surtees Trust and am incredibly grateful for their support. This grant will allow me to record and produce my debut album of both traditional and original music, exploring the relationship between traditional English folk music, and bluegrass and Americana. Undoubtedly, this generous funding from the Trust will help me to elevate my practice as a musician, and will allow me to work with other talented folk artists to produce music that touches on a heritage and genre that I love. I am so excited to begin work on my debut album and take this next step in my career as a musician and songwriter. Thank you for helping me and other folk musicians develop and achieve their goals!”

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Christopher Roberts

The grant will enable Christopher to create a professional live video to launch his new band, which blends indigenous Welsh folk traditions with jazz-influenced polyrhythmic grooves, reinterpreting the 24 difr (binary harmonic patterns) from Robert ap Huw’s 1613 harp manuscript, using the crwth (an ancient Welsh bowed-lyre) alongside electronics.

Christopher said:

“I’m thrilled to receive the Alan Surtees Award—it’s the perfect springboard for launching this new band and sharing ancient Welsh music in bold new ways. With the Trust’s support, I can bring instruments like the crwth and bardic manuscripts into a contemporary setting and connect this extraordinary tradition with modern audiences.”

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