Eliza Carthy (b. 1975) is an English folk singer and violinist.

Born… Read Full Bio ↴Eliza Carthy (b. 1975) is an English folk singer and violinist.

Born on 23rd August 1975, she is the daughter of legendary English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. She formed The Waterdaughters with her mother, aunt (Lal Waterson), and cousin Maria Knight in 1989. She has subsequently worked with Nancy Kerr, and also with her parents as Waterson:Carthy, in addition to her own solo work.

She has twice been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for UK album of the year: in 1998 for Red Rice, and again in 2003 for Anglicana. In 2003 Carthy swept the boards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, winning Folk Singer of the Year, Best Album (for Anglicana), and Best Traditional Track (for "Worcester City").

In 2004 she was part of Oysterband's Big Session, a collaboration with numerous folk artists. They produced an album The Big Session Volume One, and the group as a whole were awarded Best Group at the Folk Awards in 2005.