The year’s best folk albums transcend genre boundaries, yet each entry remains firmly grounded in the folk ethos of connection and storytelling.
Laura Marling’s eighth record, Patterns in Repeat, is a full bingo card of simplicity and sophistication—a win-win for her, listeners, and critics all around.
The artists in this year's list all use their music to create a sense of unity. Whether it is the acknowledgment of shared oppression, or in contrast, the visibility of identity, Best of Folk Music 2020 is defined by its ability to form a musical common ground.
The UK's 12 best albums are proposed in a shortlist made by the prestigious Mercury Prize.
