Belfast composer, cellist and uilleann piper Neil Martin will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at this year's NI Music Prize ceremony on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast.

Martin's career spans traditional Irish music, classical composition, theatre, film and television. He has collaborated with artists including Christy Moore, Liam O'Flynn, Wynton Marsalis, Nicola Benedetti, The Chieftains, Mary Black, Bryn Terfel, Barry Douglas, Stephen Rea and Jean Butler. As a musician, composer, producer and arranger, he has contributed to more than 100 albums.

In 2014, Martin was invited by Irish President Michael D. Higgins to arrange, conduct and perform music at the Royal Albert Hall for the first state visit by an Irish President to Britain. His collaboration with dancer Jean Butler, "this is an Irish dance," premiered in New York in 2015. Recordings by his West Ocean String Quartet have been played aboard the International Space Station.

Martin's compositions include the choral symphony OSSA, "no tongue can tell," a concerto for uilleann pipes written for Liam O'Flynn, the orchestral work "Sweeney" inspired by Seamus Heaney's writing, and "dall'ombra," a violin concerto featuring his daughter Maebh as soloist. He composed the award-winning score for "Lost Lives" and music for theatre productions on Broadway, in Europe and in London's West End. A feature-length documentary on his life, "Neil Martin: Bóthar an Cheoil," was broadcast on BBC and TG4 in 2025.

Martin maintains an active presence in Belfast's music community. He has been involved with Belfast TradFest and, in August 2026, directed "Connections," a multicultural collaboration with ArtsEkta during the All-Ireland Fleadh. He co-presented "Ebb and Flow," a special Ulster Hall concert broadcast live on BBC Radio Ulster, and hosts "Folk Club," a weekly two-hour programme on BBC Radio Ulster. He has also supported music education through workshops, mentoring and programmes including Music Generation.

In response to the award, Martin said he was deeply honoured and felt he shared it with the many artists who had influenced his life.

Charlotte Dryden, CEO of the Oh Yeah Music Centre, which organises the NI Music Prize, described Martin as an exceptional musician and composer whose ability to move between musical worlds was remarkable. She noted that his influence reaches beyond his own performances and that his work has connected music from Northern Ireland with international audiences.

The Outstanding Contribution to Music Award recognises individuals whose work has made a lasting impact on music and the wider music community.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the NI Music Prize. The ceremony takes place as part of the Sound of Belfast festival, which runs from 5-15 November 2026.