Aoife Scott

Aoife Scott is one of the most distinctive voices in Irish folk. She has two acclaimed albums, number one singles, awards on both sides of the Atlantic and a growing broadcasting career on RTÉ Radio 1. It's a career firmly her own, one that carries the Black family tradition forward while sounding like nobody but herself.

Her debut album Carry the Day (2016) was described by The Irish Times as a "richly layered impressive debut album". Its single All Along the Wild Atlantic Way went to number one in Ireland, knocking Ed Sheeran off the top spot, and was named Song of the Year at the Irish Folk Music Awards. Her recording of Grace with her cousins Róisín O and Danny O'Reilly of The Coronas went straight to number one on iTunes Ireland. Their performance at Kilmainham Gaol for RTÉ's Centenary concert has since passed two million streams.

She has been named Best Irish Folk Act at the Irish Post Music Awards, in a category alongside Christy Moore and Lankum, and Emerging Artist of the Year at the Live Ireland Awards in the US. Her single The December Letter, featuring Ron Block, was the most played Christmas song on RTÉ Radio 1 that year. It also won Single of the Year at the ALSR Celtic Music Awards.

Her second album Homebird (2020) was recorded between Nashville and Dublin. It was produced by 12-time Grammy winner Ron Block of Alison Krauss and Union Station, with Grammy-winning bluegrass players Sierra Hull and Stuart Duncan. The album went to number one on the iTunes Ireland album chart and was RTÉ Radio 1 Album of the Week. It earned Aoife two further ALSR awards: Female Vocalist of the Year and Female Vocal Album of the Year. Her duet with Matt McGinn, Time Well Spent, was RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio Ulster Album of the Week on its release.

A fluent Irish speaker, Aoife has become a familiar face on Irish television. She has appeared on The Late Late Show three times in the past year, including two TradFest specials, as well as Ireland AM, the Six O'Clock Show, BBC Two, BBC's I Lár an Aonaigh and PBS in the United States. She has sat as a guest judge on TG4's Réalta agus Gaolta and performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

A regular recipient of Culture Ireland touring support, she has played festivals across four continents, from Lorient and Milwaukee Irish Fest to Port Fairy in Australia and Mood Indigo in India. She was an official showcase artist at Folk Alliance International and Showcase Scotland. She and guitarist Andy Meaney recently played 100 shows across eight countries in a single year. 2026 has taken her from France to Belfast's Fleadh Cheoil to a full band tour of Denmark.

Beyond her own music, Aoife is a regular presenter on RTÉ Radio 1, where she can be heard on Late Date and Rising Time. She has previously guest hosted Folk on One. She also curates and presents Women of Note at TradFest, a sold-out annual celebration of women in folk at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. Guests have included Peggy Seeger, Wallis Bird and Moya Brennan, and the 2025 concert won Live Performance of the Year at the Ireland Tonight Radio Awards.