BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

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

Award recipients have included Joan Baez, John Martyn, Steve Earle, The Dubliners, Martin Carthy, Billy Bragg, Shirley Collins, Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon, Eliza Carthy, Bellowhead, June Tabor, Aly Bain, Richard Thompson, Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands, Lau, Tom Paxton, Don McLean, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Nic Jones and Bella Hardy.

Presenters of Folk Awards over the years have included a great many folk musicians but also folk fans from outside the scene, notably Sir David Attenborough, Peter O'Toole, The Who's Roger Daltrey, Brenda Blethyn, Kazuo Ishiguro, Sean Bean, Julia Donaldson, Alex Salmond, Bob Hoskins and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker.

The event, which takes place in April, has been staged at The Brewery in London, The Lowry theatre in Salford, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and, in 2014, the Royal Albert Hall. In 2015 the event will be staged at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

The Folk Awards was hosted by Mike Harding from 2000 till 2012, and broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Mark Radcliffe and Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis took over presenting the ceremony in 2013. In 2004 the awards were shown on television for the first time, on BBC Four. In 2011 the entire event was broadcast live on television via the BBC Red Button. It usually streams live in audio and video form on the BBC Radio 2 website and the BBC iPlayer.

The nominees in most categories are chosen by a panel of around 150 representatives from the British folk world, including broadcasters, journalists, record producers, festival organisers, venue bookers, record company directors, agents and promoters. The panellists can vary slightly from year to year, with new panellists being invited (or self-applying) each year. The final panel is selected by the Folk Awards committee, which includes staff from the BBC, the production company Smooth Operations, and representatives from outside those organisations.

The 'Best Original Song' and 'Best Traditional Track' categories are chosen by smaller specialist panels of judges, and the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award - presented as part of the Folk Awards - is decided by a standalone contest.

Award winners

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention photographed at the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

External links

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