This summer we saw Martin & Eliza Carthy at the Sidmouth Folk Festival, following on from the release of Martin’s brand-new album, Transform Me Then Into A Fish, 60 years on from his iconic 1965 debut album.
And now Martin Carthy has been nominated for The Mercury Prize:
Sidmouth Folk Festival patron, Martin Carthy, has been shortlisted for the country’s top music award, the Mercury Prize.
A friend of Bob Dylan among others, Martin has been at the forefront of British folk music since the 1960s, said Derek Schofield, chair of the folk festival charity. He made his Sidmouth Folk Festival debut in 1969 when he appeared with Dave Swarbrick, the fiddle player in Fairport Convention, who performed earlier this year at the 2025 festival.
The awards ceremony, broadcast on BBC4, takes place on October 16th (Thursday) when Martin will be performing live. “Everyone at the festival congratulates Martin on this well-deserved Mercury Prize nomination,” said festival artistic director, Tash Daly. “We’re extremely proud to have him as one of our patrons.”
The Guardian certainly considers the Sidmouth Fest one of the top 10 of the UK’s best music festivals for folk, jazz, blues and world fans – thanks to the likes of Martin Carthy’s regular appearance:
The east Devon coastal town knows how to throw a party – it has hosted a folk festival since 1955 and the week-long event takes over the resort, from grand marquees to tiny pubs to the seafront itself. Its lineup reads like a who’s who of today’s folk scene – it’s impossible to pick highlights. Seek out the fringe events and find yourself dancing a ceilidh, or picking up fiddle tips courtesy of Sam Sweeney, or learning Icelandic harmonies…
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