S4C has unveiled the eight songs that have been shortlisted for the Cân i Gymru 2016 final. They will now compete for the £5000 cash prize as well as the prestigious ‘Song for Wales’ title.
The competition will be held on S4C on Saturday, 5 March, live from the BBC Wales studios, Cardiff. Elin Fflur and Trystan Ellis-Morris will present the show on the night. There will also be another award, Tlws y Beirniaid, for the song picked by the three judges on the night.
This year, the vote is all down to the viewers through a phone-in poll. The phone numbers will be revealed on the night and phone lines will open once all eight songs have been performed.
Elen Rhys, Entertainment Content Commissioner for S4C says, "There’s a fantastic variety of songs on the shortlist – and plenty of choice for our viewers. A number of new, up and coming songwriters and singers are competing as well as some familiar faces. I am looking forward greatly to what will be an exciting competition."
The songwriters and singers have been working on the songs under the expert eye of the team at production company Avanti.
The eight songs that have reached the shortlist are:
Caru nhw i gyd by Sion Meirion Owens
Actor Gorau Cymru by Barry Jones
Y Penderfyniad by Beth Williams-Jones and Sam Humphreys
Caeth by Sarah Wynn
Dim ond un by Cordia
Ar ei ffordd by Alun Evans
Cannwyll by Geth Vaughan
Meddwl am ti by Kizzy and Eady Crawford
S4C is also giving viewers the opportunity to vote for their favourite Cân i Gymru winning song since the competition was first broadcast on the channel in 1982. You can do so by visiting the S4C website.
The 33 winning songs in the poll starts with Nid Llwynog Oedd yr Haul by Myrddin ap Dafydd and Geraint Lovgreen in 1982 to Y Lleuad a’r Sêr by Arfon Wyn and Richard James Roberts in 2015.
The most popular song will be performed on 5 March as part of the Cân i Gymru 2016 celebrations. The poll closes on 29 February.
