Tag: The Christian Raphael Prize

The Christian Raphael Prize for Emerging Artists was established by Cambridge Folk Festival, Christian Raphael and his family.  This prestigious prize provides the opportunity for an up-and-coming folk act to progress to the next level and beyond and underlines the Festival’s commitment to supporting new artists.

With previous winner Katherine Priddy soaring to new heights with her recently released third album These Frightening Machines, the impact of The Christian Raphael Prize for Emerging Artists is hitting the headlines once again. Priddy’s new LP secured her career best chart positions, including: No 1s on the Official Record Store Chart and Official UK Americana Chart, and No 21 on the Official UK Top 40 Album Chart.  

Vicki Raphael, Christian’s mother commented: “On Monday I woke up and tuned to Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. Katherine Priddy was being introduced, and The Christian Raphael Prize was mentioned! This illustrates the reach of the prize since its humble inception around our kitchen table.

As a family we are confident that Christian’s prize is successful in supporting and developing emerging Folk talent. On a personal note, we thoroughly enjoy our glimpse into the Folk Music World which has been a truly nurturing aspect of Christian’s life since childhood and still is as he enters his 4th Decade.”

These are the success stories of four of the winners:

KATHERINE PRIDDY

Katherine won the Christian Raphael Prize in 2019 and was subsequently signed to Navigator Records who released her debut album, “The Eternal Rocks Beneath”, which won rave reviews and its singles had over 200 plays on UK radio, including BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.  The album reached No. 1 in the Official UK Folk Charts, as did her second album, “The Pendulum Swing”.  Her third record, “These Frightening Machines” has just been released. With her reputation growing, Priddy has written and released two songs with the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, performed on the legendary “Later . . . with Jools Holland” TV show, been filmed by the BBC at Glastonbury, recorded a duet with Johnny Flynn as the title track for 2025 feature film ‘Four Letters”, has toured extensively, including opening for Richard Thompson and Suzanne Vega, and is now a concert headliner in her own right.

ANGELINE MORRISON

Angeline won the Christian Raphael Prize in 2022 and her independently recorded album, “The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience” was subsequently signed and released by the legendary Topic Records and named Folk Album of the Year by The Guardian.  Angeline is a British folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of Jamaican and Hebridean heritage.  She uses traditional folk music to explore, honour and give voice to Britain’s hidden historic black ancestors, telling stories of diaspora and belonging.  Angeline’s music was championed by the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show and BBC 6 Music’s Cerys Matthews, and she was booked by BBC Two TV’s “Later . . . with Jools Holland” during Black History Month 2022, singing her widely praised “Unknown African Boy (d.1830)”.  This song tells the true story of an enslaved child who died in a shipwreck off the Isles of Scilly.  In 2025 Angeline performed tracks from “Sorrow Songs” at a BBC Proms concert which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

FRANKIE ARCHER

Frankie won the Christian Raphael Prize in 2023 and has been praised for, “making music that transcends stereotypes using a combination of manipulated samples, synths, drum tracks and earthy Northumberland fiddle and voice.”  She has been featured on BBC Radio 2, where Mark Radcliffe described her music as “fascinating and intoxicating”, on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and on BBC Two TV’s “Later . . . With Jools Holland”, where she performed alongside top UK band, The Last Dinner Party, who were so impressed by her music that they asked her to support them on some of their high-profile dates, including London’s Roundhouse.  She says, “None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t won the prize!”  In 2024 Frankie was filmed by the BBC as part of their 2024 Glastonbury coverage and in early 2026 Wipeout Music signed her to their publishing and distribution rosters.  Frankie Archer will release her first album, The Dance Of Death, in June.

THE DEEP BLUE

The Manchester-based all-female band The Deep Blue won the Christian Raphael Prize in 2024 and part of their prize (as usual) included a year of Radio Promotion. Their new music tracks, including ‘Cynical’ and ‘Water, Water’, were featured on BBC Radio 2, BBC Wales, BBC Scotland and more and they did several live sessions, including on BBC Radio 4 “Loose Ends”. They were particularly popular on BBC Radio Ulster’s Ralph McLean show which has a famous musician as a regular listener – Mike Scott, leader of The Waterboys.  He was so impressed with the harmonies of The Deep Blue that he called Ralph to ask how he could book them! As a direct result of this the band played major arena shows in the UK, Ireland and several mainland European cities, singing both harmonies with The Waterboys and performing their own set. Thanks to winning the Christian Raphael Prize, The Deep Blue have described 2025 as, “our biggest year yet!  Back in 2024 we had no idea of the adventure that was waiting just around the corner.”

THE CHRISTIAN RAPHAEL PRIZE FOR EMERGING ARTISTS AT CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL

The Prize was established and is funded by inspirational figure and keen supporter of Cambridge Folk Festival’s commitment to emerging young artists, Christian Raphael MBE. A 37-year-old man with severe and multiple learning disabilities who communicates non-verbally, Christian has been attending the Cambridge Folk Festival for many years. The Prize includes a monthly grant for 12 months, Richard Wootton’s Radio & TV Promotion for one year and an opportunity to play at the following year’s Cambridge Folk Festival.