Singer Hannah Rarity wins Young Traditional Musician of the Year award

Singer Hannah Rarity has been named Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the year.

The 25-year-old, from Dechmont, West Lothian, won the BBC Radio Scotland prize as part of the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

Judges were unanimous in awarding Ms Rarity the title, which is seen as the premier accolade for young musicians in their field.

She was one of five finalists performing for the title at Glasgow's City Halls in a broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland.

Ms Rarity, who has toured internationally with Irish-American traditional group Cherish The Ladies and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, said: "I'm utterly stunned to have won - especially with such a strong field of finalists.

"Everyone performed amazingly well. It's a true honour to be named as winner - the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician is a hugely respected competition.

"I'm looking forward to taking on some new projects in 2018 and I hope earning this coveted title will help act as a spring in my career."

The title comes with a recording session with BBC Scotland and one-year membership to the Musicians Union.

Jeff Zycinski, head of radio at BBC Scotland, said: "Every year we are amazed at the consistently high standard of young musicians who reach the finals.

"Hannah's performance particularly impressed the judges - she captivated the audience from the moment she stepped on stage at the City Halls.

"It was an extremely difficult choice, though. Each one of our finalists was magnificent, giving some especially spirited performances and showing exactly the kind of individuality and flair we set out to find when we launched the search for this year's winner."

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