The team behind a musical stage production inspired by the mass Atlantic migration from the Western Isles in the 1920s has issued a call for award nominations.

Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey, the musical stage production partly based on Lewis-born Donald S Murray’s novel The Salt and the Flame, hopes to be in the running for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026.

Says musician Liza Mullholland, a member of the Metagama musical ensemble: “If you saw the show on our March Scottish tour, at Under Canvas, in the Traverse Theatre or Cumbernauld Theatre, at Celtic Connections or are enjoying the album, we’d hugely appreciate if you’d consider giving Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey a wee shout out in the Best Original Work category!”

Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey depicts the mass migration from the Western Isles across the Atlantic in the 1920s with traditional Gaelic songs and new works written by Liza Mullholland, Willie Campbell, as well as music and songs penned by Charlie McKerron, Calum Alex Macmillan and Donald S Murray. Also crucial in weaving the whole story together on stage were Dolina MacLennan and visual artist Douglas Robertson.

The stage show has delighted audiences across the Western Isles and mainland Scotland as well as the critics.

Now Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey hopes to add to the plaudits by making the cut in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026. They have issued a last-minute appeal to garner as many nominations as possible in the Best Original Work category. 

The nominations and voting processes are in two stages. This nomination stage closes today (Sunday, 18 October), with the voting period opening online on Monday, November 2.

The awards evening takes place in Paisley’s Lagoon Centre on Saturday, December 5. In addition to the presentation of over 20 awards, you can hear Valtos, Sian, Gnoss, Spodo Komodo and many more.

The MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are Scotland’s national celebration of traditional music, founded in 2003 by musician and cultural advocate Simon Thoumire to spotlight the country’s folk and trad scene.

Organised by Hands Up for Trad, the awards honour outstanding musicians, singers, composers, bands, community projects and venues. The awards ceremony is broadcast on BBC ALBA, which has been the main sponsor since 2008.

As the ‘gold standard’ benchmark for Scottish traditional music, the awards showcase performers, new talent, and innovative projects.