A Ceredigion artist represents Wales in the first-ever Folk Album of the Year Award.

Owen Shiers aka Cynefin’s new album Shimli, hailed by the Guardian as a 'political antidote to the modern age', is the only Welsh album to make it onto the shortlist of nine.

Describing Welsh folk as the "poor forgotten Celtic cousin" of the genre, Shiers marks the nomination for a Welsh-language album as significant.

The 41-year-old singer, researcher and grain grower from Eglwysfach said: "From a personal point of view, it's nice that people enjoyed the album, but I think it's more gratifying from a perspective of Welsh folk music being underrepresented for quite a long time - so it feels good to have a Welsh album make the shortlist.

"One of the reasons I did the project was to raise the profile of Welsh folk music across the border."

The album presents a collection of traditional songs and poetry set to music, alongside songs written by Shiers or based on stories collected from older west Walians.

His aim was to "capture some of the changes in the ways of life that have happened here over the last 100 years", tying a line between "systemic loss - species loss, cultural loss, language loss, biodiversity loss".

The lead single Helmi tells an obscure cân (poem or song) by farmer Ifan Jones from Prengwyn.

It describes a farmhouse surrounded by an army of helmi (corn stacks) in golden regalia, protecting inhabitants from hunger - Shiers' work highlights the loss of helmi both as cultural symbols but also as native crops that once fed the nation.

Other albums chosen out of 146 entries include Teleology by 90-year-old Peggy Seeger, Highland clàrsach player Grace Stewart-Skinner’s Auchies Spikkin´ Auchie and All Smiles Tonight by Dublin Trio Poor Creature.

The winner will be announced in March 2026.