On last night’s BBC Radio2 Folk Show Mark Radcliffe revealed the nominees for this year’s folk awards which will be held at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 5 April. Below are the details of the nominees and we’ve linked to reviews and articles etc. for those we’ve covered which happens to be most of them.
Lifetime Achievement Award to Al Stewart
The awards show on Wednesday 5th April will also include the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Al Stewart.
Born in Glasgow and raised in Dorset, Al started his career on the 1960s London folk scene, where he performed alongside Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Roy Harper and Richard Thompson, and shared a flat with Paul Simon. He became known for a brand of folk-rock that combined folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of characters and events from history. By the late 1970s, Al was a star of FM radio, enjoying two huge platinum-selling singles (and albums of the same titles): Year Of The Cat and Time Passages. Al’s most recent release was the 2010 live album Uncorked with folk musician Dave Nachmanoff. During his illustrious career, he has worked with Peter White, Alan Parsons, Jimmy Page, Richard Thompson, Rick Wakeman, Francis Monkman, Tori Amos and Tim Renwick.
Woody Guthrie to be inducted into Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame
The legendary Woody Guthrie is to be inducted into the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame. This year marks 50 years since his death in 1967. Woody is an icon of folk music, who wrote some of the most enduring standards in the genre. His life and work was dedicated to supporting and documenting the rights of workers and the downtrodden. Guthrie’s songs include This Land Is Your Land, Vigilante Man, I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore, Do-Re-Mi and Talking Dust Bowl Blues. In New York City during the 1940s, he founded a group called the Almanac Singers alongside future members of The Weavers including Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. Guthrie’s songs have been recorded by countless singers, from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen. He was a mentor to young Bob Dylan and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Many of Guthrie’s songs are archived in the US Library of Congress. Born in 1912, Guthrie died in 1967, aged 55.
Lineup
The lineup for the evening includes Billy Bragg, Afro Celt Sound System, Fara and Al Stewart. Other acts set to perform at the event will be announced at a later date. It will be presented by Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis. Ticket details are here.
BBC RADIO 2 FOLK AWARDS 2017 NOMINEES
Below is a video preview of most of those in the lineup of the year’s awards.
FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR
BEST DUO
BEST GROUP
BEST ALBUM
As with last year, the Best Album category is also open to public vote, you can vote between now and 23:59 on 17th February 2017.
- Jarlath Henderson – Hearts Broken, Heads Turned
- Jim Moray – Upcetera
- Martin Green – Flit
- Shirley Collins – Lodestar
- Songs of Separation – Songs of Separation
:: Cast your vote for Best Folk Album
Read full terms and conditions for Best Album vote
HORIZON AWARD
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
- John McCusker
- John McSherry
- Mohsen Amini
- Rachel Newton
BEST ORIGINAL TRACK
- Fragile Water by Nancy Kerr
- If Wishes Were Horses by Kris Drever
- Roll Away by Martin Green feat. Adam Holmes
- Sounds of Earth by Jim Moray
BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK
- Courting Is a Pleasure by Jarlath Henderson
- Echo Mocks The Corncrake by Songs of Separation
- Van Diemen’s Land by Daoiri Farrell
- Willie Taylor by Julie Murphy
BBC RADIO 2 YOUNG FOLK AWARD
- Amelia Coburn
- Charlie Grey & Joseph Peach
- Eryn Rae
- Josie Duncan & Pablo Lafuente
Coverage of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
Drivetime presenter Simon Mayo will be broadcasting a special programme live from the Royal Albert Hall (5-7.30pm) on the day of the awards.
The interval show, hosted by Kathryn Tickell – an acclaimed performer of the songs and smallpipes of Northumberland – will feature performances from the nominees for the Young Folk Award 2017.
Listeners will be able to watch the ceremony live on the BBC Radio 2 website with highlights of the awards being broadcast on BBC iPlayer after the event and on Red Button.
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards will be broadcast live from 7.30-10pm on Radio 2. The Radio 2 Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe broadcasts on Wednesdays at 7pm on BBC Radio2.
Click here for details of the winners