Sound Roots

Name: Sound Roots
Address: Manchester, GB
Telephone: +441706962885

Sound Roots helps people to build independent music careers.

As a registered charity, we support the sector through offering opportunities for artists via festivals, events, industry showcasing, mentoring and more.

28/05/2026

📢 English Folk Expo & Manchester Folk Festival 2027 Open Call - Applications Close Soon! 📢

Want to perform at one of the UK’s leading showcases for folk, roots and acoustic music and put your music in front of bookers, agents and new audiences?

Applications for EFEx 2027 are now open, but time is running out. Taking place from Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 March 2027, the event brings together industry delegates from across the world to discover outstanding artists from across the genre, alongside the public-facing Manchester Folk Festival showcases.

🔗 To apply and find out more, head to the link in the comments.

📅 Deadline: Sunday 7th June 2026 at midnight

📷 Photo Credit: Harry Proctor for BOOT Magazine | Artist: Daudi Matsiko

22/05/2026

A huge congratulations to Sound Roots’ chair, Kellie While, who last night won the Gold Award in the Best Music Programme category at the prestigious ARIA Awards for her fantastic 21st Century Folk radio series! 👏

Produced by While’s Pomona Audio with Jon Lewis for BBC Radio, the acclaimed 2025 series featured artists such as Richard Thompson - RT, Kate Rusby, Bill Ryder-Jones and more, composing songs about people whose lives have been influenced by - or changed track thanks to - trains.

20/05/2026

Our Chief Executive David Agnew will be featuring on the RNCM Music Industry Panel: Music Education, the Grassroots Scene and Beyond ⭐️

Alongside DJ Deb Grant from BBC6Music and artist Nyah Grace, this panel will explore the question where does music education sit in the real world of gigs, radio, and industry work? 🎵

Listen in on the conversation around how careers begin and build, and the wider context that supports that journey alongside formal study. Book your free ticket on the RNCM website 🎟️🔗

📆 Tuesday 9 June
🕐 1pm
📍RNCM Lecture Theatre, 124 Oxford Road, M13 9RD

Photo by Harry Proctor 📸

07/05/2026

🇨🇦 Last chance to apply: Music PEI / English Folk Expo Artist Exchange 2026–27 🇬🇧

English Folk Expo and Music PEI are once again partnering for the fourth edition of their international artist exchange between England and Prince Edward Island, Canada.

We’re looking for one England-based singer-songwriter (folk, roots and acoustic) to collaborate with a PEI-based artist to co-write, record and perform new music across both countries.

The selected artist will also showcase at: Showcase PEI, English Folk Expo and Manchester Folk Festival.

Don't miss this funded opportunity including travel, accommodation and performances. Apply via the link in the comments 👇

📅 Deadline: Sunday 10 May 2026
📸 Pictured: Izzie Yardley

06/05/2026

🌱 Meet Our Sound Roots Artist Mentoring Pathway 2026–2027 Cohort! 🌱

Our annual artist mentoring programme supports artists to build sustainable music careers, equipping them with the skills, networks and experience they need. Today, we're proud to introduce our new cohort: Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black, Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell, Ceitidh Mac and Something Sleeps 🙌

Over the next year, these four artists will perform at major festivals and showcase events including FolkEast, Manchester Folk Festival and Your Roots Are Showing.

Alongside this, they’ll deepen their understanding of the industry, grow valuable networks and develop clear strategic career plans with insights from leading industry experts. If you're heading to FOCUS Wales this week be sure to seek them out!

Thank you to everyone who applied, we were once again astonished by the diversity, talent and high standard of emerging English folk artists.

This pathway is made possible by our funders, including Jerwood Foundation, The Leche Trust, PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Network, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Culture Fund and Arts Council England. The Sound Roots Artist Mentoring Pathway is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network partner, supported by PPL.

🔗 Find out more via the link in the comments

22/04/2026

ELEVATE - our new year-long development programme for artists ready to level up, supported by PPL - Phonographic Performance Ltd, is taking applications until 12 May ⚡

For Greater Manchester artists who are building momentum and need the right support to progress further. Through tailored support, we’ll connect you with mentoring, new networks, recording and live performance opportunities, and more ✨

Applicants will have:

• A distinct and recognisable artistic identity
• A clear sense of their sound, influences, and creative direction (even if it’s still evolving)
• Music already released, or ready to be released
• Some experience of performing live across different settings

Apply by Tuesday 12 May, 11pm ⏳ https://www.brightersound.com/get-involved/elevate/

21/04/2026

It’s been just over a month since the inaugural Folk Album of the Year Awards that saw Barry Kerr take home the prize for his album ‘Curlew’s cry’ ⭐️

Our friends over at Folk on Foot recently posted a special podcast episode featuring their Gala Highlights, including performances from .kerr, , Edith WeUtonga Katiji, Grace Stewart-Skinner Clàrsach, Peter Knights Gigspanner, Joshua Burnside, Peggy Seeger, Poor Creature & Spafford Campbell 🎻 The episode is available to stream wherever you get your podcasts, or on the Folk on Foot website!

Here’s a round up of photo highlights from the spectacular ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall, taken by Chris Payne 📸

18/03/2026

Where do we even start with last night? 🏆

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Rochdale Town Hall, the inaugural Folk Album of the Year Award was nothing short of unforgettable.

A huge congratulations to Barry Kerr who was crowned our winner for his 2025 album release Curlew’s Cry, in front of a 200-strong audience of musicians, industry professionals, event partners and media. 💿✨

“This award shines a spotlight on artists whose work deserves wider recognition for their incredible output. In folk and traditional music, albums are something to be cherished and celebrated and last night’s shortlist shows the extraordinary creativity across the scene today. We’re hugely grateful to our jury for the care and dedication they brought to every album submitted and to all the artists who have engaged with the project, both those here tonight and those following from afar. We hope the award will continue to help connect these musicians with new audiences.” – David Agnew, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sound Roots

We’d also like to say another huge thank you to the incredible teams that worked on last night’s ceremony, our hosts Lynette Fay & Matthew Banister, the award co-creator and Rochdale Development Agency.

Let’s hear it once more for our nominees: Peggy Seeger, Grace Stewart-Skinner, Barry Kerr, Joshua Burnside, Cynefin, Spafford Campbell, The Gigspanner Big Band, Poor Creature and Edith WeUtonga - you can watch their performances back now on Folk on Foot’s YouTube channel 🙌

📸 Photo credit: Chris Payne Photography

08/03/2026

Happy International Women’s Day from everyone at Sound Roots! 💜

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on the remarkable women and gender-diverse artists who inspire and shape our community every day. Alongside honouring the creativity and vision of some of the world’s most groundbreaking performers, we’re proud to work with such incredible staff and volunteers across all our projects.

We’ve seen some especially exciting news from our Artist Mentoring Pathway mentees recently: Katherine Priddy’s latest record scored 5 stars in The Mail on Sunday, Anna McLuckie is set to release her upcoming album through Hudson Records and Heather Ferrier Music will perform at the Barbican later this month!

And in less than two weeks, we’ll be welcoming Angeline Morrison, Ceitidh Mac, The Hench Wenches, Katie Spencer, Charm of Finches, Saddleworth Women’s Morris & Clog and many more outstanding artists to Manchester Folk Festival and English Folk Expo 🙌

Featuring (clockwise from L–R): Emily Portman, Lucy J. Wright, Macharia, ATFK, Chloe Matharu and The Pegwells.

07/03/2026

Just 10 days to go until the Folk Album of the Year Award Gala at Rochdale Town Hall on Tuesday 17th March 🏆

The show will be live-streamed from 1900 on the Folk on Foot YouTube channel. Please join us!

The nominees include:
Barry Kerr - Cynefin - Edith We Utonga - The Gigspanner Big Band - Grace Stewart-Skinner - Joshua Burnside - Peggy Seeger - Poor Creature - Spafford Campbell

In partnership with Sound Roots.

Address

Manchester

Telephone

+441706962885

Website

https://www.soundroots.uk/

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