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| BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards |
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THE WINNERS ARE....
FOLK SINGER
OF THE YEAR - JOHN TAMS
The Derbyshire-born singer has been a guiding light of the British folk community and
beyond for over thirty years, with the Albion Band, Home Service and as a solo performer. Not only a consummate songwriter,
singer and musician, Tams is also a skilled actor and TV/theatrical producer and is musical director of the
BEST DUO - JOHN SPIERS &
JON BODEN
Since their 2001 debut, the two Johns have formed a fruitful partnership with Eliza Carthy,
founded the innovative 11-piece band Bellowhead, and released two further genre-defining solo albums. They perform English
music at its finest.
Official website
BEST GROUP - FLOOK
The unique sound of Flook stems from the inspired dual flute playing of Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen fused with superlative
melodic rhythm from the equally virtuosic guitar and bodhran of Ed Boyd and John Jo Kelly. Their traditional and contemporary
instrumental material has won them many awards in their ten-year history.
Official website
BEST ALBUM - THE RECKONING: JOHN
TAMS
BEST ORIGINAL SONG - ONE IN A MILLION:
CHRIS WOOD & HUGH LUPTON
Chris is a writer of modern parables and consummate musician whose music
reveals his love for the real history of the English-speaking people. Together with Robert Harbron and John Dipper, forms
The English Acoustic Collective. One of Britain's leading storytellers, Hugh has a global touring career in performance, publishing
and education.
Official website - Chris Wood
Official website - Hugh Lupton
BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK - BITTER
WITHY: JOHN TAMS
HORIZON AWARD - JULIE FOWLIS
A member of award-winning Scottish sextet Dòchas, Julie is a young singer and multi-instrumentalist from Scotland's Outer
Hebrides. Involved in singing, piping and dancing since her childhood in a Gaelic-speaking community, Julie's solo career
escalated in 2005 with the release of her first solo album and achievement of the Scots Trad Music Gaelic Singer of the Year
Award.
Official website
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR - MICHAEL
McGOLDRICK
Manchester-born of Irish parents, Michael is a world-class flutist and uilleann piper whose
work is a cutting-edge fusion of traditional and modern influences. Previously a member of Toss The Feathers, Flook and Lúnasa,
he currently plays with supergroup Capercaillie as well as touring his own band and playing in inspired collaborations with
Dezi Donnelly and others.
Official website
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - PAUL BRADY
Since
his teenage piano-bar and R&B guitarist days in 1960s Donegal, this "white Irish soul singer", songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
has received acclaim for both his consummate renditions of traditional song and his passionate original material. He's enjoyed
successful collaborations with The Johnstons, Planxty, Andy Irvine, Bonnie Raitt and Richard Thompson.
Official website
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - RICHARD THOMPSON
From his groundbreaking early work with Fairport Convention to his current luminous solo career, Richard has been recognised
as one of the era's finest songwriters as well as a peerless guitarist. For almost four decades a producer of classic albums,
gripping performances and songs covered by dozens of artists, his energy and abilities show no sign of diminishing with the
passage of time.
Official website
BEST LIVE ACT - KATE RUSBY
One of the few folk singers enjoying a wider success, Kate performs "folk music for people who don't like folk music",
while retaining the loyalty of her huge fan base. Subtly maturing, a decade into her professional career, she blends the traditional
songs learned in her childhood with her own intuitive songwriting.
Official website
GOOD TRADITION AWARD - ASHLEY HUTCHINGS
AKA
'The Guv'nor', Ashley Hutchings has been a major force in English folk-rock for some forty years, founding and nurturing legendary
bands including Fairport Convention, The Albion Band and Steeleye Span. A skilled bass player and important songwriter, it's
his understanding and fostering of traditional music as a living force that has earned him his well-deserved place in folk
history.
Official website
Ashley Hutchings (the albionchronicles website)
FOLK CLUB AWARD - RED LION, BIRMINGHAM
For over thirty years a great folk club
in King's Heath with a dedicated team of supporters. The club has an eclectic booking policy from lesser-known guests to major
acts and is a great favourite with the artists themselves, who vote for this award.
Official website
AUDIENCE VOTE - MOST INFLUENTIAL FOLK ALBUM OF ALL
TIME - LIEGE & LIEF:
FAIRPORT CONVENTION
Fairport Convention's fourth
album, released in 1969, represented a watershed in British folk-rock. The classic lineup of Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings,
Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Mattacks and Simon Nicol took English traditional music to new heights of invention
and excitement, paving the way for a mainstream movement brief in time but great in glory.
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| Karine Polwart |
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John Leonard, Producer of
explains how the awards are
chosen and why they are important
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| Richard Thompson |
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Legendary singer-songwriter
Richard Thompson will receive a
Lifetime Achievement Award
and be one of the performers
at this year's
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
One of folk music's highest-rated
artists, guitarist Thompson will
play at the event solo and also
as part of a reunion of the
Fairport Convention line-up which
voted in a public vote as the
Most Influential Folk Album of All Time.
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Most Influential Folk Album
of All Time.
![Liege and Lief 1969 [click for larger image]](sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/1969liegeandlieffront.gif)
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| Island ILPS 9115 LP, UK, December 1969 |
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The line-up of Thompson, bassist Ashley Hutchings, guitarist Simon Nicol, drummer Dave Mattacks
and fiddle player Dave Swarbrick split shortly after the album was released in 1969 and with the exception of a handful of festival appearances many years ago, hasn't shared a stage since.
Acclaimed singer Chris While will perform vocal duties in the absence of the late
Sandy Denny.
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![Liege and Lief 1969 [click for larger image]](/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=actual&linkpath=https://albionmiscellanies.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/1969liegeandlieffront.gif&target=tlx_new)