Eisteddfod hat-trick

Congratulations to alumnus Steffan Rhys Hughes for achieving a notable hat-trick at this year’s National Eisteddfod.

Steffan retained his hold on the Lady Herbert Lewis trophy for folk singing and the Cerdd Dant Solo and also picked up the Llwyd o’r Bryn trophy, the top award for recitation. Discussing this feat, an Eisteddfod spokesperson said “It may not have been done before, certainly not in modern times.”

As well as winning these three major competitions, Steffan was invested into the Gorsedd of Bards for winning two prestigious competitions at last year’s National Eisteddfod.

Steffan was also one of six singers selected by adjudicators at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in May to compete for the prestigious Urdd Gobaith Cymru Bryn Terfal Scholarship in October.

These achievements join a long list of Eisteddfod successes for the talented singer. He first appeared on the National Eisteddfod stage in 2003 and has since won many first prizes at the National Eisteddfod, the Urdd National Eisteddfod and the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. He is the most successful individual to have appeared on the Eisteddfod’s Pavilion stage and holds that record with an impressive 41 times in ten years. Since 2003 he has won the Cerdd Dant solo, in various age groups, ten consecutive times.

Steffan graduated from his BMus degree in 2015. Visit our Student Blog to read about his Eisteddfod experience in 2014 while he was an undergraduate student here.