Julie Fowlis

Since being presented with her award as BBC Radio 2 Folksinger of the Year
2008 by KT Tunstall, the Daily Telegraph's prediction that "Fowlis could be
the first Scottish Gaelic crossover star in the making" has seemed
increasingly prescient.

Indeed Julie Fowlis is no stranger to awards and distinctions, winning Gaelic Singer Of The Year & Album Of The Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2007 and recently nominated for the third year in a row as BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year (the first ever Scottish Gaelic singer to win this prestigious award when she was given the title in 2008).

But it is perhaps her award as First Ever Gaelic Ambassador - "Tosgaire na Gàidhlig", bestowed by the Scottish Parmliament, that may make her most proud. For Fowlis is a passionate torchbearer for the culture of her native Western Isles. And, coupled with her extraordinary talent, it is this quiet determination to celebrate the music of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland on its own terms that ensures that Scots Gaelic music is reaching a wider audience than ever before.