THE Peatbog Faeries, Shooglenifty, Skerryvore and the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band are among the nominees for this year's MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.

The winners in 16 different categories ranging from Album of the Year to Gaelic Singer of the Year will be announced in a gala night at the Caird Hall in Dundee next month.

Shoogenifty’s latest album The Untied Knot and Peatbog Faeries’ Blackhouse have both been nominated for the Album of the Year award along with eight other albums from the likes of Siobhan Miller, Lau and Treacherous Orchestra. Shotts and Dykehead, meanwhile, will fight it out with the Johnstone Pipe Band for the title of Scottish Pipe Band of the Year.

And Skerryvore’s ten-year anniversary concert Decade has been nominated in the Event of the Year category where it is up against Celtic Connections opening concert Grit, Speyfest and the Kirriemuir Folk Fest.

The awards will be decided by a public vote which opens today and will continue until November 20. Members of the public can cast their vote at projects.handsupfortrad.scot/scotstradmusicawards/voting/

Speaking about the shortlist, the event’s founder and promoter Simon Thoumire said “We’ve got a strong and diverse list of nominees. It’s been an eventful year for Trad music in Scotland and we have a lot to celebrate.”

Donald Campbell, chief executive of sponsors MG ALBA added: “We congratulate all those who have been shortlisted for this year’s awards.

"The mix of nominees and the geographical spread across the various categories demonstrate that. Traditional music is alive and well throughout Scotland and we look forward very much to the Trads taking place in Dundee for the first time.”

The award ceremony in the Caird Hall will take place on December 5 and will include live performances from Duncan Chisholm and Cathy Ann MacPhee, Peatbog Faeries and BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician 2015 Claire Hastings.

Tickets for the event are available from 01382 434 940 or via dundeebox.co.uk.