RAP AWARDS : THE WINNERS

• 2nd Mar 2007

As predicted here at Glasswerk last week the big winners at this years RAP (Rock and Pop) awards in Llandudno were Welsh Hip Hop gods Y Genod Droog. In an incident packed evening the Genod scooped the award for Most Popular Group as voted for by Radio Cymru C2 listeners as well as Best Live Act. Sadly they failed to keep hold of both statuettes, with one going missing during the after party celebrations (The picture above of The Genod Droog, still with said statue). Early indications seem to suggest that the band left the award in the hands of chief hedonist and ultra ladies man Kim De’ Bills, who proceeded to swap the statuette for a pot plant, which he is now cultivating in his garden.

It was also a big night for former Catatonia main man Mark Roberts with his new band Y Ffyrc walking away with the awards for Best Album and Best C2 session on Radio Cymru. Other winners on the night included Aber boys Radio Luxembourg who scooped the award for Band of the Year. Mim Twm Llai main man Gai Toms walked away with the Composer of the Year award but missed out in the album stakes. The Best Male prize ended up with former Gorky’s man Euros Childs with Best Female going to Mared Leni for her new project Swci Boscawen. Producer honours went to David Wrench, edging out Morricone Mei from the Genod.

Young upstarts Cowbois Rhos Botwnog walked away with the best newcomers award and seemed genuinely thrilled. Made up of three brothers Aled, Dafydd and Iwan Hughes they have been gigging all over Wales for the last 2 years and had this to say ‘We weren’t expecting it at all so it’s really nice to get the award’. The band have earned a huge reputation for superb live performances coupled with a superb Libertines-esque look that could see them catapulted into the limelight over the next 12 months. The evening ended with the Outstanding Contribution to Welsh Music award going to now Waw Factor coach Caryl Parry Jones, after more than 25 years either performing or writing for other bands.

The full winners were

BEST EP/SENGL COVER
Radio Luxembourg – Os Chi'n lladd Cindy

BEST ALBUM
Y Ffyrc – Oes

BEST NEWCOMERS
Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog

BEST COMPOSER
Gai Toms

BEST LIVE BAND
Genod Droog

BEST PRODUCER
David Wrench

BEST FEMALE
Swci Boscawen

BEST MALE
Euros Childs

BAND OF THE YEAR
Radio Luxembourg

BEST WEBSITE
Bandit 24/7

BEST C2 SESSION
Y Ffyrc

BEST LIVE EVENT
Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau

RADION CYMRU MOST POPULAR GROUP
Genod Droog