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10th December 2019

Belhaven Brewery Announces £25,000 Bursary winner

Kinnaris Quintet win the Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish music. The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2019 took place last night (Saturday 7th December) at Aberdeen Music Hall. Hosted by Gaelic singer and broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy and musician Kim Carnie, the stellar line-up included Sian, Heisk, Skerryvore, Session A9, Mairi Campbell and Robyn Stapleton. Following weeks of anticipation and a public vote, the evening celebrated Scotland’s flourishing music scene.

Glasgow-based folk band Kinnaris Quintet have been announced as winners of the Belhaven Bursary at MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in Aberdeen.

Belhaven Brewery, Scotland’s oldest working brewery, currently celebrating 300 years of brewing beautiful beers this year, has been supporting Scottish artists through the Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music since its inception in 2017.

The career changing sum of £25,000 is the biggest financial award for music and was previously awarded to Elephant Sessions in 2017, and Talisk in 2018, making Kinnaris Quintet the first all-female band to scoop the prize.

Winning the judges over with their uplifting and powerful music, the quintet will also be brewing their own beer with Belhaven and performing at the legendary Belhaven Brewery VIP Party in New York during Tartan Week.

Propelling onto the scene with their much-anticipated debut album ‘Free One’ in 2018, fiddlers Aileen Gobbi, Laura Wilkie and Fiona MacAskill, alongside mandolin player Laura-Beth Salter and Jenn Butterworth on guitar make up the band, who mix traditional Scottish and Irish influences with contemporary compositions.

Gordon Muir, Marketing Controller at Belhaven Brewery said: “We are thrilled to award this year’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music to Kinnaris Quintet.  Their musical range, innovative arrangements and vibrant stage presence stood out among an amazingly talented shortlist. Since coming together in 2017, Kinnaris Quintet have brought a fresh energy to the trad scene and we look forward to the Bursary helping them spring to the next level.

It has been inspiring once again to see the depth and breadth of innovation in the Scottish folk music scene, with an array of brilliant artists weaving in inspiration from all sorts of genres and cultures to create exciting new sounds.

Belhaven Brewery are proud of our links with this wonderful scene with which we see so much in common – inspired by our traditions and roots, which we use to spur our imagination to create new beers and new music that bring people together for great times.  We are very excited about working with Kinnaris Quintet in 2020 and can’t wait to see where the journey takes us.”

Belhaven Brewery has been marking its 300th year of brewing beautiful beers throughout 2019, with a year long programme of celebrations, culminating in a sell out music festival at the brewery in September. Kinnaris Quintet and eight other outstanding Scottish artists, including Dougie MacLean and Tide Lines performed at the celebration which was attended by fans from across the world.

In addition, Belhaven Brewery launched 1719, a specially brewed birthday celebration pale ale, hosted a birthday reception at the Scottish Parliament, celebrated with 300th birthday parties in all its Scottish pubs, enhanced its brewing and visitor centre experience with £500,000 investment and welcomed Belhaven celebrations in pubs and bars across export nations as far flung as America and Russia.

Ends

10 December 2019

For further information contact becky.haywood@belhaven.co.uk / 07974 132040

 

About Belhaven Brewery

Belhaven Brewery, Scotland’s oldest working brewery has been producing a diverse range of delicious and vibrant beers from its historic brewery in Dunbar since 1719.  These include Scotland’s best-selling beer, Belhaven Best alongside award winning craft beers such as Twisted Grapefruit IPA, Beer of the Year at the Scottish Beer Awards 2018.  From traditional ales to its easy-drinking stout, Belhaven Black, all Belhaven’s beers are brewed with 100% Scottish barley malt, water from its own well and its unique Belhaven yeast. Belhaven beers are exported as far as USA, Russia, Sweden, France and China with exports now amounting to 30% of all Belhaven beers brewed each year. Belhaven Brewery was awarded Exporter of the Year from the Scottish Beer Awards 2018.

Belhaven was acquired by Greene King in 2005. Greene King currently employs around 40,000 people including 3000 in Scotland across its main trading businesses; Pub Company, Pub Partners and Brewing & Brands.