Eliza Carthy

Hailed as an innovator and a leading light of England's folk scene, Eliza Carthy rose to prominence in the mid-'90s both as a solo artist and a member of Waterson-Carthy, the group she formed with her parents, folk icons Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy. A singer, songwriter, and fiddler, Carthy built her reputation early on, infusing the traditional folk of her parents' generation with a youthful vibrancy and punk-like spirit on two Mercury Prize-nominated albums, 1998's Red Rice and 2003's Anglicana. Through numerous collaborations with her family and artists like Billy Bragg, Richard Thompson, the Oysterband, Nancy Kerr, Martin Green, and a host of others, her presence has been woven into the fabric of U.K. folk music in the 21st century.