Dafydd Owain wins Welsh Music Prize 2026 for second album

Singer Dafydd Owain has won the 2026 Welsh Music Prize with his album Ymarfer Byw.

A total of 15 albums were shortlisted for the £10,000 top prize across genres from rap and metal to pop, folk, rock and indie rock.

Receiving his award at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on Wednesday, Owain, from Caernarfon, said the last time he had performed on the same stage was as a 16-year-old choir member.

"I mimed the whole thing because I was... scared of making a bum note," he recalled.

"It's weird to have an award for what's essentially singing now," he told the audience.

Owain acknowledged "one big family" of people, including his band members, who he said contributed to his success.

In August, he won the Welsh Language Album of the Year award with his second album.

Singer Mary Hopkin, from Pontardawe, Swansea, who was one of the first artists signed to The Beatles' label Apple Records, received the Welsh Music Inspiration Award for her contribution to music over several decades.

Her daughter, Jessica Lee Morgan, spoke to BBC Radio Wales - which broadcast the awards live on Wednesday - and said her mother was "very honoured" to receive the recognition.

She accepted the award on her mother's behalf and performed a medley of her hits.

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The awards, hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ and presenter Sian Eleri, included live performances from some of the nominees.

The competition also honoured emerging talent with this year's Triskel Award winners named as singer Betsan, and bands Casual Smart and MWSOG.

Last year Don Leisure won the Welsh Music Prize for his album Tyrchu Sain, which honours the legacy of Welsh music while reframing it for a new generation.

The album saw the Cardiff-based producer, whose real name is Aly Jamal, dig through the archives of Sain Records to create new music from forgotten recordings. The word "trychu" translates as digging.

It features appearances including previous Welsh Music Prize winners Gruff Rhys and Boy Azooga's Dave Newington.

You can read more about the competition from our Welsh language news service, Cymru Fyw

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