GORSEDH KERNOW – The Celtic spirit of Cornwall
Press release for immediate use
Gorsedh Kernow Adult Awards 2026 celebrated in style
Some outstanding creative and community achievements were celebrated this year in the Annual Gorsedh Awards ceremony. The packed event, which took place in Bodmin on Friday 5th September as part of the Esedhvos festival saw a wide range of activity celebrated, both in Cornwall and further afield. The eminent soprano Wendy Eathorne received the Map Trevethan medal for her long career and work for Cornwall outside Cornwall while Simon Margetts received the London Cornish shield for services to Cornish Wrestling. The Lowender award went to Lowenna Hosken for her work on organizing the Year of Cornwall in the Lorient festival, the Cornish Welsh Cup to Dewi Rhys-Jones and the FOCS Heritage Award to Daphne Hicks of Padstow.
This year saw the return of the Mordon-Caradar Rosebowl and the Cornish Crystal, two long-standing awards for outstanding work in Cornish poetry and prose. These are competitive awards, with entries submitted under pseudonyms, and are the only awards presented during the Gorsedh ceremony itself. This year both were won by Sam Ruane-Brown, the Rosebowl for poetry and the Crystal for prose – a great achievement. Cornish language was also highlighted through the Mab Hirnans award, which this year went to Graham Sandercock, for his work over many years in teaching and publishing in Cornish. The Grand Bard’s Award this year went to the team behind the Oferen an Dasserghyans (Mass of the Resurrection) – the first ever setting of the Mass entirely in Cornish, which received its premiere in Truro Cathedral in June.
The annual Gorsedh Kernow Awen awards recognise excellent work that sustains or promotes the Celtic spirit of Cornwall both in Creativity and for Community. All winners receive a specially commissioned Awen medal that features the Gorsedh Kernow symbol of inspiration.
The Learn Cornish podcast, developed between Radio Cornwall and the Cornish Language Office received a Creativity Awen, as did Raymond Bridgewater of St Ives while Community Awens went to Ainsley Cocks for his work over 20 years with
Cornish Mining World Heritage. Lyndon Allen of St Austell also received a Community Awen for work with Cornish heritage and history as did the Bodmin Up to the Moor project.
The panel also awards Certificates of Recognition designed to encourage new work in a range of categories. This award has swiftly become a quality mark for new creative work that celebrates the Celtic spirit of Cornwall. This year these include original work in Cornish language, Cornish dialect, music and art. A special mention went to the Cornish language children’s booklet which was written by William Morris and illustrated by his young grand-daughter – a real family effort!
The Award Ceremony was followed by a performance of Cornish music by Salt and Sky which was enjoyed by all. Grand Bard, Jenefer Lowe, commented: “The Panel were impressed by the breadth of the nominations and entries this year and it is a real pleasure to celebrate so much Cornish talent, commitment and achievement. It is also lovely to see the return of the premier competitions for Cornish writing and amazing to have both won by the same person – a great achievement”.
The full list of awards for 2026:
Named Awards
Mordon-Caradar Rosebowl: Sam Ruane-Brown for Cornish Poetry
Cornish Crystal: Sam Ruane- Brown for Cornish prose.
Grand Bard’s Award: Mike O’Connor, Jane Kneebone, Fr Ross Crichton, Wella
Morris, Tim Saunders and the Cathedral Choir and organist for Oferen an
Dasserghyans
Mab Hirnans/Stephen Gainey Award: Graham Sandercock for long service to the
Cornish language
London Cornish Association Shield: Simon Margetts, for Services to Cornish wrestling
Pewas Map Trevethan/Paul Smales Award: Wendy Eathorne, for services to
Cornish music
Lowender Award: Lowenna Hosken, for services to Cornish Culture and the Year of
Cornwall at the Lorient festival
FOCS Heritage Award: Daphne Hicks, Padstow
Cornish-Welsh Cup: Dewi Rhys-Jones
Community Awen Awards:
Lyndon Allen for services to Cornish heritage and history in St Austell and the Clay
Country
Ainsley Cocks for services to Cornish Mining world Heritage Bodmin Up to the Moor project and song.
Creativity Awen Awards:
BBC Radio Cornwall and Cornwall Council Language Office for the Learn Cornish podcast
Raymond Bridgewater for Cornish Made Easy
Certificates of Recognition
Cornish Language
Will Griffith: Geryow Estrennyk (winner)
Rhodri Davies: An Chi Koth (commended)
Cornish Dialect
Trevor Smitheram: UP and Away (winner)
Adrian Rodda: Adit Lane (commended)
Creative Work:
William Morris and Hannah Morris – Illustrated children’s booklet Peder Pysk
Raymond Bridgewater – Cornish Made Easy
Paul Phillips – Painting of a mine
Up to the Moor song
End of press release *****************************
Further notes for editors:
- The Esedhvos Festival runs each year in the week before the Gorsedh ceremony. The Awards are open for nominations and entries each year, launching in October.
- For further information please contact press@gorsedhkernow.org.uk
****************************