BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2.

The award winners are chosen by a panel of 120 experts in the field of folk music, including broadcasters, journalists, festival organisers, agents and promoters.

The award ceremony, which takes place early in February, has been presented since its inception by Mike Harding, and broadcast on BBC Radio 2. In 2004 the awards were shown on television for the first time, on BBC Four.

Award Winners

2008

* Folk Singer of the Year: Julie Fowlis
* Best Duo: John Tams and Barry Coope
* Best Group: Lau
* Best Album: "Prodigal Son" by Martin Simpson
* Best Original Song: "Never Any Good" by Martin Simpson
* Best Traditional Track: "Cold Haily Rainy Night" by The Imagined Village
* Horizon Award: Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
* Musician of the Year: Andy Cutting
* Best Live Act: Bellowhead
* Lifetime Achievement Award: John Martyn
* Good Tradition Award: Shirley Collins
* Folk Club Award: Dartford Folk Club

2007

* Folk Singer of the Year: Seth Lakeman
* Best Duo: Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick
* Best Album: "Freedom Fields" by Seth Lakeman
* Best Original Song: "Daisy" by Karine Polwart
* Best Traditional Track: "Barleycorn" (performed by Tim van Eyken)
* Musician of the Year: Chris Thile
* Best Live Act: Bellowhead
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Pentangle
* Folk Club Award: [http://www.theramclub.co.uk The Ram Club]

2006

* Folk Singer of the Year: John Tams
* Best Duo: John Spiers and Jon Boden
* Best Group: Flook
* Best Album: "The Reckoning" by John Tams
* Best Original Song: "One In A Million" by Chris Wood and Hugh Lupton
* Best Traditional Track: "Bitter Withy" (performed by John Tams)
* Horizon Award: Julie Fowlis
* Musician of the Year: Michael McGoldrick
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul Brady
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Richard Thompson
* Best Live Act: Kate Rusby
* Good Tradition Award: Ashley Hutchings
* Folk Club Award: Red Lion, Birmingham
* Most Influential Folk Album Of All Time: "Liege and Lief" by Fairport Convention (public vote)

2005

* Folk Singer of the Year: Martin Carthy
* Best Duo: Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham
* Best Group: Oysterband The Big Session
* Best Album: "Faultlines" by Karine Polwart
* Best Original Song: "The Sun's Comin' Over The Hill" by Karine Polwart
* Best Traditional Track: "Famous Flower Of Serving Men" (performed by Martin Carthy)
* Horizon Award: Karine Polwart
* Musician of the Year: Kathryn Tickell
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Ramblin' Jack Elliott
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Songwriting): Tom Paxton
* Best Live Act: Bellowhead
* Best Dance Band: Whapweasel
* Good Tradition Award: Steeleye Span
* Folk Club Award: Hitchin Folk Club

2004

* Folk Singer of the Year: June Tabor
* Best Duo: John Spiers and Jon Boden
* Best Group: Danú
* Best Album: "Sweet England" by Jim Moray
* Best Original Song: "Co. Down" by Tommy Sands (performed by Danú)
* Best Traditional Track: "Hughie Graeme" (performed by June Tabor)
* Horizon Award: Jim Moray
* Musician of the Year: Martin Simpson
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Dave Swarbrick
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Songwriting): Steve Earle
* Best Live Act: Show of Hands
* Good Tradition Award: Celtic Connections
* Folk Club Award: Rockingham Arms, Wentworth

2003

* Folk Singer of the Year: Eliza Carthy
* Best Duo: Nancy Kerr and James Fagan
* Best Group: Altan
* Best Album: "Anglicana" by Eliza Carthy
* Best Original Song: "No Telling" performed by Linda Thompson
* Best Traditional Track: "Worcester City" performed by Eliza Carthy
* Horizon Award: John Spiers and Jon Boden
* Instrumentalist of the Year: John McCusker
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Christy Moore
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Songwriting): John Prine
* Best Live Act: Roy Bailey and Tony Benn
* Good Tradition Award: Oysterband
* Folk Club Award: Edinburgh

2002

* Folk Singer of the Year: Martin Carthy
* Best Album: "The Bramble Briar" by Martin Simpson
* Best Original Song: "Lullabye" by Kate Rusby
* Best Traditional Track: "Black is the Colour" performed by Cara Dillon
* Best Group: Cherish the Ladies
* Horizon Award: Cara Dillon
* Instrumentalist of the Year: Martin Simpson
* Lifetime Achievement Award: The Chieftains
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Songwriting): Ralph McTell
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Fairport Convention
* Folk Club Award: Nettlebed
* Best Live Act: Rory McLeod

2001

* Folk Singer of the Year: Norma Waterson
* Best Album: "Unity" by John Tams
* Best Original Song: "Harry Stone (Hearts of Coal)" by John Tams
* Best Group: Danú
* Horizon Award: Bill Jones
* Instrumentalist of the Year: Michael McGoldrick
* Lifetime Achievement Award: Bert Jansch
* Radio 2 Special Roots Award: Taj Mahal
* Good Tradition Award: Bob Copper
* Folk Club Award: The Davy Lamp
* Best Live Act: Vin Garbutt

2000

* Folk Singer of the Year: Kate Rusby
* Best Album: "Sleepless" by Kate Rusby
* Best Original Song: "A Place Called England" performed by Maggie Holland
* Best Traditional Track: "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" performed by
* Best Group:
* Horizon Award: Nancy Kerr and James Fagan
* Instrumentalist of the Year: Martin Hayes
* Radio 2 Special Award: Joan Baez
* Radio 2 Special Roots Award: Youssou N'Dour
* Andy Kershaw Roots Award: Joe Boyd and Lucy Duran
* Good Tradition Award: Topic Records
* Folk Club Award: Westhoughton
* Best Live Act: La Bottine Souriante

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/folkawards/ The BBC's Folk Awards site]
* [http://www.acousticmagazine.com Acoustic Magazine] The UK's only dedicated Acoustic magazine