THE Purbeck Valley Folk Festival (August 16-19 ) has long been home to a rich history of exciting musicians that have been BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners and nominees.

This year is no different, with four talented acts performing who have recently been nominated for the prestigious event held on April 4.

Those up for an award and bound for Purbeck Valley Farm this summer are, Siobhan Miller, O’Hooley & Tidow, The Elephant Sessions and Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys. First up is one of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians, Siobhan Miller, who is nominated for Folk Singer of the Year and Best Traditional Track.

The 30-year-old is a two-time winner of the coveted Scots Trad Music Singer of the Year prize and a former recipient of a BBC Young Folk Award. She has also performed around the world and featured on hit TV series Outlander two years ago.

Her new album features some of the country’s best-known traditional musicians, such as the legendary Phil Cunningham, and also pays homage to inspirational figures including her own dad, singer and guitarist Brian Miller.

Nominated for Best Duo are festival favourites O’Hooley & Tidow. After a string of innovative albums, the northern folk duo remain at the forefront of the contemporary folk music scene, whether recording or touring.

Their latest album WinterFolk was released late last year and featured several original compositions or arrangements by the duo as well as versions of Fairytale of New York, Stille Nacht and Richard Thompson’s We Sing Hallelujah (who also headlines this year’s Purbeck Valley Folk Festival).

Competing for Best Band is The Elephant Sessions and Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys. Both should make a big impact on audiences at Purbeck Valley Folk Festival.

Last year was a remarkable year for Elephant Sessions. The band who hail from the Highlands of Scotland exploded onto the indie folk scene with the release of their award winning album, All We Have is Now and their energetic live shows.

Last but not least is Sam Kelly, the Bristol-based singer, song-writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Sam has already bagged a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award in 2016 and is hotly-tipped to continue this success.

Catherine Burke, organiser of the Purbeck Valley Folk Festival says: “We wish all the nominees the very best of luck and look forward to seeing them in action for us in August!”

Major headline acts announced so far include Richard Thompson and his Electric Trio, Trad.Attack!, Coco and The Butterfields and further acts to be unveiled over the coming months. See purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk Other attractions for the family festival include kids entertainers, storytellers, craft workshops, music workshops, theatre workshops, song sessions, poetry, Purbeck Rising (for new talent) and open mics.