Cân i Gymru (English: A Song for Wales, ) is a Welsh-language television talent competition that is broadcast annually on S4C. It was first introduced in 1969 when BBC Cymru wanted to enter the Eurovision Song Contest. The winner of the contest represents Wales at the Celtavision Song Contest, which is held as part of the annual Pan Celtic Festival, in Ireland and is also awarded a cash prize (the exact amount has varied over the years).
History
Cân i Gymru was presented to Wales under the name Cân Disc a Dawn, a competition based around the Welsh language pop music show (as seen on Victor Lewis Smith's TV Offal), for the first time in 1969. At the time, Meredydd Evans, head of light entertainment at BBC Cymru Wales, hoped that the winning song would be able to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, although the BBC in London decided in the end that only one song from Britain would compete.
Eight programmes were broadcast in the series to select a Song for Wales with seven songs in each, performed by well-known singers of the time. The public voted by sending in letters and the song with the most votes went through to the final. The last programme was broadcast on 5 June 1969 throughout Britain on BBC1 under the title Song for Wales and was presented by Ronnie Williams in Welsh and English. A panel then chose the winning song on the night. The programme was also part of the BBC's provision for the Investiture of Prince Charles which would take place on 1 July 1969.
Following the establishment of the Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland in the early 1970s the Festival's Wales Committee started the Cân i Gymru competition once again in order to choose a song to represent Wales in the Celtavision competition. There was no competition in 1973. Initially the media in Wales did not have much interest in the competition. Cân i Gymru was not broadcast live on television, and a panel voted to choose the winners. For example, the 1980 competition was held at Bar Cefn yr Angel in Aberystwyth and was broadcast on BBC Radio Cymru.
The 2001 contest, held at the Llangollen Pavilion, took place without a live audience because of the foot-and mouth-outbreak. Twenty years later, only a virtual audience was allowed at the Wales Millennium Centre due to ongoing COVID restrictions. In 2003, there were special preview programmes where viewers were shown all the entrants from a category (one per programme). However by 2004, the previews were relegated into the childrens' strand Planed Plant and linked by the strand's continuity team.
By 1982 the competition was back on television but a panel still chose the winner. In later years, the winning song was chosen by a vote where members of the public phone for their favorite song. Due to technical issues in 2024, this vote was moved online in 2025. In 2024, the prize was £5,000 with £3,000 for second place and £2,000 for third place.
Unlike the majority of singing competitions in Europe, the emphasis is on the composer of the song rather than the performer. A compilation album was released in 2005 by Welsh record label Sain containing all the tracks that won the competition from its inception in 1969 to 2005. This was followed by individual compilation albums for the 2006 and 2007 competitions, both of which were released by TPF Records.
Winners by year YearSingerSongEnglish translationComposer(s) 1969 Margaret Williams "Y Cwilt Cymreig" The Welsh Quilt Llifon Hughes-Jones and Megan Lloyd Ellis 1970 Y Canolwyr "Dydd o haf" A Summer's Day Hawys James 1971 Eleri Llwyd "Nwy yn y Nen" Gas in the Air Dewi 'Pws' Morris 1972 Heather Jones "Pan ddaw'r Dydd" When the Day Comes Geraint Jarman 1974 Iris Williams "I gael Cymru'n Gymru Rhydd" To make Wales a Free Wales Rod Thomas and Rod Gruffydd 1975 Brân "Caledfwlch" Excalibur Gwyndaf Roberts 1976 Rhian Rowe "Y Llanc Glas Lygad" The Blue-eyed Boy Douglas Roberts 1977 Cawl Sefin "Dafydd ap Gwilym" Dafydd ap Gwilym Peter Hughes Griffiths and Meinir Lloyd 1978 Delwyn Sion and Brân "Angel ble wyt ti?" Angel, Where are you? John Gwyn and Ronw Protheroe 1979 Pererin "Ni Welaf yr Haul" I don't see the Sun Arfon Wyn 1980 Plethyn "Golau Tan Gwmwl" A Light under a Cloud Geraint Løvgreen and Myrddin ap Dafydd 1981 Beca "Dechrau'r Dyfodol" The Beginning of the Future Gareth Glyn and Eleri Cwyfan 1982 Caryl Parry Jones and Bando "Nid Llwynog Oedd yr Haul" The Sun wasn't a Fox Geraint Løvgreen and Myrddin ap Dafydd 1983 Siân Wheway and Robin Gwyn "Popeth ond y Gwir" Everything but the Truth Siân Wheway and Robin Gwyn 1984 Geraint Griffiths "Y Cwm" The Valley Huw Chiswell 1985 Bwchadanas "Ceiliog y Gwynt" The Weathervane Euros Rhys Evans 1986 Eirlys Parri "Be ddylwn i Ddweud" What Should I Say? Mari Emlyn 1987 Eryr Wen "Gloria Tyrd Adre" Gloria, Come Home Euros Elis Jones and Llion Jones 1988 Manon Llwyd "Can Wini" Winnie's Song Manon Llwyd and Eurig Wyn 1989 Hefin Huws "Twll Triongl" Triangular Hole Hefin Huws and Les Morrison 1990 Sobin a'r Smaeliaid "Gwlad y Rasta Gwyn" Land of the White Rasta Rhys Wyn Parry and Bryn Fôn 1991 Neil Williams a'r Band "Yr Un Hen Le" The Same Old Place Richard Marks 1992 Eifion Williams "Dal i Gredu" Still Believing Gwennant Pyrs, Meleri Roberts and Alwen Derbyshire 1993 Paul Gregory "Y Cam Nesa" The Next Step Paul Gregory 1994 Geraint Griffiths "Rhyw Ddydd" Some Day Paul Gregory, Lorraine King, Tim Hamill and Dave Parsons 1995 Gwenda Owen "Yr Ynys Werdd" The Emerald Isle Richard Jones and Arwel John 1996 Iwcs a Doyle "Cerrig yr Afon" Stones of the River Iwan Roberts and John Doyle 1997 Bryn Fôn "Un Funud Fach" One Short Minute Barry Jones 1998 Arwel Wyn Roberts "Rho Dy Law" Place Your Hand Rhodri Tomos 1999 Steffan Rhys Williams "Torri'n Rhydd" Breaking Free Matthew McAvoy and Steffan Rhys Williams 2000 Martin Beattie "Cae o Yd" A Field of Corn Arfon Wyn 2001 Geinor Haf "Dagrau Ddoe" Yesterday's Tears Emlyn Dole 2002 Elin Fflur "Harbwr Diogel" A Safe Harbour Arfon Wyn and Richard Synnott 2003 Non Parry and Steffan Rhys Williams "Oes Lle i Mi" Is there a Place for me? Emma Walford and Mererid Hopwood 2004 Rhian Mair Lewis "Dagrau Tawel" Quiet Tears Meinir Richards and Tudur Dylan 2005 Rhydian Bowen Phillips "Mi Glywais" I Heard Dafydd Jones and Guto Vaughan 2006 Ryland Teifi "Lili'r nos" Lily of the Night Ryland Teifi 2007 Einir Dafydd and Ceri Wyn Jones "Blwyddyn Mas" A Year Out Einir Dafydd and Ceri Wyn Jones 2008 Aled Myrddin "Atgofion" Memories Aled Myrddin 2009 Elfed Morgan Morris "Gofidiau" Worries Lowri Watcyn Roberts and Elfed Morgan Morris 2010 Tomos Wyn Williams "Bws i'r Lleuad" A Bus to the Moon Alun Evans 2011 Tesni Jones "Rhywun yn Rhywle" Somebody Somewhere Steve Balsamo and Ynyr Gruffydd 2012 Gai Toms "Braf yw Cael Byw" Living's Fine Gai Toms and Philip Jones 2013 Jessop a'r Sgweiri "Mynd i Gorwen Hefo Alys" Going to Corwen with Alys Rhys Gwynfor and Osian Huw Williams 2014 Mirain Evans "Galw Amdanat Ti" Calling for You Barry Evans and Mirain Evans 2015 Elin Angharad "Y Lleuad a'r Sêr" The Moon and the Stars Elin Angharad and Arfon Wyn 2016 Cordia "Dim ond Un" Only One Ffion Elin and Rhys Jones 2017 Cadi Gwyn Edwards "Rhydd" Free Cadi Gwyn Edwards 2018 Ceidwad y Gân "Cofio Hedd Wyn" Remembering Hedd Wyn Erfyl Owen 2019 Elidyr Glyn "Fel Hyn 'da Ni Fod" This is How we Should Be Elidyr Glyn 2020 Gruffydd Wyn "Cyn i’r Llenni Gau" Before the Curtain Falls Stuart Roslyn and T Jay 2021 Morgan Elwy Williams "Bach o Hwne" A Bit of That Morgan Elwy Williams 2022 Ryland Teifi "Mae yna Le" There is a Place Rhydian Meilir2023 Dylan Morris "Patagonia" Alistair James2024 Sara Davies "Ti" You Sara Davies2025 Dros Dro “Troseddwr yr Awr” Criminal of the Hour Dros Dro2026Sara Owen “Y Gân” The Song Emlyn Gomer, Geth Tomos & Henry Priestman
Hostings
Year Location Presenter(s) Production company Broadcaster 1969 NewportRonnie WilliamsBBC Cymru Wales BBC1 1970 CardiffBBC1 Wales 1971 Cardiff 1972 Cardiff 1974 Cardiff Dewi Morris 1975 Cardiff Hywel Gwynfryn 1976 Cardiff 1977 Cardiff 1978 Cardiff 1979 Cardiff Arfon Haines Davies HTV Productions HTV 1980 Aberystwyth and BBC Cymru Wales BBC Radio Cymru 1981 Mold Gwyn Erfyl HTV Productions HTV 1982 Cardiff and Emyr WynBBC Cymru Wales BBC1 Wales 1983 CardiffEmyr WynS4C 1984 Cardiff 1985 Cardiff 1986 Cardiff Margaret Williams 1987 Llandudno Caryl Parry Jones 1988 Llandudno Geraint Griffiths 1989 Llandudno Nia Roberts 1990 Caernarfon Alaw Bennett Jones and Owain Gwilym 1991 CaernarfonNia Roberts 1992 Caernarfon 1993 Caernarfon 1994 Cardiff Nia Roberts and Stifyn Parri HTV Productions 1995 PontrhydfendigaidNia RobertsApollo 1996 Pontrhydfendigaid 1997 Pontrhydfendigaid 1998 Cardiff 1999 CorwenNia Roberts and Dafydd Meredydd 2000 Llangollen 2001 Llangollen 2002 Port TalbotLisa Gwilym, and Angharad Llwyd 2003 Port Talbot 2004 Newport Sarra Elgan 2005 Newport Sarra Elgan and Alun Williams 2006 Port Talbot Sarra Elgan and Hefin ThomasAvanti 2007 Port Talbot Eleri Siôn and Dafydd Meredydd 2008 Port Talbot Sarra Elgan and Rhydian Bowen Phillips 2009 LlandudnoRhodri Owen and Sarra Elgan 2010 Llandudno 2011 PontrhydfendigaidElin Fflur and Dafydd Meredydd 2012 Pontrhydfendigaid 2013 Cardiff 2014 Gwalchmai Elin Fflur and Gethin Evans 2015 GwalchmaiElin Fflur and 2016 Cardiff 2017 Cardiff 2018 Bangor 2019 Aberystwyth 2020 Aberystwyth 2021 Cardiff 2022 Aberystwyth 2023 Aberystwyth 2024 Swansea 2025 Bridgend 2026 Anglesey 2027 Cardiff
See also Pan Celtic Festival Wales in the Eurovision Song Contest
References
External links