New Roots

03/05/2026

Two weeks ago, we had the privilege of being at the New Roots finals - what a brilliant day of music, song… and even a bit of dance!

Huge congratulations to all the 2026 finalists:
Alice and Ruby
Woody Lander
Kessenyan
Martha Khan
Kind Cult
Gabriel Bath
Hyem
Harry Keith
The Rookery

Keep an eye out for them at a festival or folk club near you later this year 👀

26/04/2026

What a brilliant final of this year’s New Roots! If you missed it, you can still watch the performances and judges feedback on our YouTube channel. 🎻🪕🪗👌😀

With thanks again to the wonderful participants, judges, organisers and everyone that came to support and watched online.

A reminder for concert organisers that we are always looking for performance opportunities for our amazing New Roots performers. Please do get in touch.

We will follow up to share photos of the final (thanks to Joe McBurnie).

See you next year!

New Roots 2026 - Live

18/04/2026

Happening tomorrow! Tune in online to see brilliantly talented up and coming musicians in the world of folk, roots and world music. 🎶🎻🪗🪕😀

www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/new-roots.htm

New Roots 2026 - Live

07/03/2026

**An exciting update on New Roots 2026!!**

The judges - Valmai Goodyear, Tash Daly, Mossy Christian and Megan Wisdom - have now sifted through all the brilliant entries to this year's competition, and have decided who will be invited to the final. All those musicians whose entries weren't selected will still receive feedback from the panel.

The final will take place on Sunday 19 April, 10am-2pm at the Trestle Arts Centre in St Albans - save the date, and watch this space for more information! Everyone is invited to attend the concert during the day, in particular organisers who might offer the finalists performance opportunities. The concert will be live-streamed and a video will be posted soon afterwards.

https://www.trestle.org.uk/
http://www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/new-roots.htm

25/01/2026

**Less than one week to go until the deadline for New Roots 2026.**

Are you under 25? Do you sing or play traditionally based music? We can't wait to hear your entry!

For more information and details of how to enter: http://www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/new-roots

19/01/2026

Not long to go until the deadline - have you entered yet?

http://www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/new-roots.htm

16/01/2026

Have you entered yet? 😀

There is no one ‘winner’ of our New Roots. As well as being a wonderful, celebratory occasion, it's also a chance to get your music heard more widely, with performance opportunities awarded to the most appropriate acts. In the past, these have included opportunities at Upton-on-Severn, Broadstairs, Chippenham, Folk East and Sidmouth Folk Festivals and at folk clubs, including Twickfolk, Stockton and Lewes. 🎻🪉🪈🪕🪗🪘🎹🎼

The deadline for entries is 31 January. For more information:
http://www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/new-roots.htm

08/01/2026

One of our previous New Roots participants is Hazel Askew. Hazel is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer from London, creating music inspired by the folk traditions of England and beyond. She is a respected performer on the folk scene, most notably with BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominated folk powerhouse Lady Maisery and traditional duo The Askew Sisters. Hazel is also a member of the seasonal collaborations Awake Arise and Wakefire, and won Best Album at the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards as part of 10 piece all female supergroup Songs of Separation.

Hazel told us:

"I encourage all the young players I meet to enter New Roots. It's such a great event in the way it encourages and celebrates everyone. The organisers have done an amazing job with it over the years, and it definitely helped me in my career as a musician and performer."

For more information:
http://www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/new-roots.htm
https://www.hazelaskew.co.uk/

08/01/2026

**Have you entered yet? The deadline is rapidly approaching for young musicians, under the age of 25 who sing or play traditionally based music, to enter New Roots 2026!**

Whether your style is traditional or contemporary folk, roots or world music, whether you perform traditional material or write your own, the organisers would like to hear from you. There are two categories, under 18 and 18-24. New Roots has been running since 2000 and the standard rises every year. After temporary changes during the Covid pandemic and taking a break in 2025, it has returned to its usual schedule.

The list of judges for 2026 has been finalised. Between them, Tash Daly, Valmai Goodyear, Megan Wisdom and Mossy Christian represent a wide spectrum of insights into the folk scene.
The judges’ task will be firstly to listen to the entries sent in and select the performers who will take part in the final on Sunday April 19, 2026 at Trestle Arts Base in St Albans. On the day they will give constructive feedback to performers. There is no overall winner and we try to ensure that everyone who makes it to the final will win one or more performance opportunities and everyone who takes part will get a video of their perfomance. The aim is to match the performers to the opportunities which are offered to New Roots finalists.

Performers who want to enter are invited to complete the entry form on the New Roots web site and email it to [email protected]. In reply, they will get an email telling them how to upload audio files with up to 15 minutes of their music.

The closing date is 31 January 2026.

For further and more up to date information visit our web site: www.new-roots.org.uk

11/12/2025

**There's not long to go until the closing date for entries - 31 January 2026. Have you entered yet?**

**The call is out to young musicians under the age of 25 who sing or play traditionally based music to enter for New Roots 2026.**

Whether your style is traditional or contemporary folk, roots or world music, whether you perform traditional material or write your own, the organisers would like to hear from you. There are two categories, under 18 and 18-24. New Roots has been running since 2000 and the standard rises every year. After temporary changes during the Covid pandemic and taking a break in 2025, it has returned to its usual schedule

The list of judges for 2026 has been finalised. Between them, Tash Daly, Valmai Goodyear, Megan Wisdom and Mossy Christian represent a wide spectrum of insights into the folk scene.

The judges’ task will be firstly to listen to the entries sent in and select the performers who will take part in the final on Sunday April 19, 2026 at Trestle Arts Base in St Albans. On the day they will give constructive feedback to performers. There is no overall winner and we try to ensure that everyone who makes it to the final will win one or more performance opportunities and everyone who takes part will get a video of their perfomance. The aim is to match the performers to the opportunities which are offered to New Roots finalists.

Performers who want to enter are invited to complete the entry form on the New Roots web site and email it to [email protected]. In reply, they will get an email telling them how to upload audio files with up to 15 minutes of their music.

The closing date is 31 January 2026.

For further and more up to date information visit our web site www.new-roots.org.uk This also has a form for event organisers who wish to offer performance opportunities for young musicians.

02/11/2025

**The call is out to young musicians under the age of 25 who sing or play traditionally based music to enter for New Roots 2026.**

Whether your style is traditional or contemporary folk, roots or world music, whether you perform traditional material or write your own, the organisers would like to hear from you. There are two categories, under 18 and 18-24. New Roots has been running since 2000 and the standard rises every year. After temporary changes during the Covid pandemic and taking a break in 2025, it has returned to its usual schedule

The list of judges for 2026 has been finalised. Between them, Tash Daly, Valmai Goodyear, Megan Wisdom and Mossy Christian represent a wide spectrum of insights into the folk scene.

The judges’ task will be firstly to listen to the entries sent in and select the performers who will take part in the final on Sunday April 19, 2026 at Trestle Arts Base in St Albans. On the day they will give constructive feedback to performers. There is no overall winner and we try to ensure that everyone who makes it to the final will win one or more performance opportunities and everyone who takes part will get a video of their perfomance. The aim is to match the performers to the opportunities which are offered to New Roots finalists.

Performers who want to enter are invited to complete the entry form on the New Roots web site and email it to [email protected]. In reply, they will get an email telling them how to upload audio files with up to 15 minutes of their music.

The closing date is 31 January 2026.

For further and more up to date information visit our web site www.new-roots.org.uk This also has a form for event organisers who wish to offer performance opportunities for young musicians.