Burning Bridget Cleary, a contemporary Celtic group from southeast Pennsylvania, has won Album of the Year and two other honors in the 2009 Celtic Radio Music Awards. According to Highlander Radio, the awards program was created to promote exceptional Celtic music across six categories and was expanded in 2008 to include the Celtic Radio Album of the Year and the Contemporary Celtic music category, which the group also won.

Fronted by spirited and energetic young fiddlers and singers Rose Baldino and Genna Gillespie, and ably backed by Rose’s father Lou on guitar and vocals, with percussionist Peter Trezzi, Burning Bridget Cleary is named for the young woman remembered as the last witch burned in Ireland. In addition to being recognized for its sophomore release, Everything is Alright, the group received the Contemporary Celtic award for its song “Soldier, Soldier,” while “Three Set: Waram Patat/Jean’s Reel/Miss Shepherd/Mason’s Apron” received the award in the Jigs & Reels category. Baldino and Gillespie met eight years ago at a traditional Irish music session in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Both have been first-place winners in the historic Lehigh Valley city’s Celtic Classic fiddle competition and served as judges last September. As previously noted on AcousticMusicScene.com, Burning Bridget Cleary’s live performance was a highlight of last summer’s Philadelphia Folk Festival in this writer’s view.

The following artists also received 2009 Celtic Radio Music Awards:

Enter the Haggis (Celtic Rock) for “Murphy’s Ashes” on the album Gutter Anthems; Celtic Thunder (Traditional and Roots Traditional) for “Caledonia” and “Raggle Taggle Gypsy,” respectively, on the album Act Two; and Jim McRae (Bagpipes) for “The Queen’s Piper Medley” on the album Global Gathering.

Listeners and members of CelticRadio.net, an online radio and social media network, make nominations throughout the year. Based upon listener nominations, ratings, requests, and other radio statistics, three songs in each category were selected for voting by listeners during the first quarter of 2010. A record number of nominations were reportedly received during 2009, while members of Celtic Radio cast a total of 1,379 votes. Winners are inducted into the Celtic Radio Hall of Fame.