BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
Awarded for Outstanding achievements in folk music
Country United Kingdom
Presented by BBC Radio 2
First awarded 2000 (2000)
Official website bbc.co.uk/folkawards
Television/Radio coverage
Network BBC (2000–present)

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 folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2. It takes place in April.

Award recipients have included Joan Baez, Cat Stevens, 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.

Guest presenters

Presenters of Folk Awards over the years have included 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, Peter Gabriel, Julia Donaldson, Alex Salmond, Bob Hoskins and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker.

History

The event has been staged at The Brewery in London, The Lowry theatre in Salford, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and, in 2014 and 2016, the Royal Albert Hall.[1] In 2015 the event was staged at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.[2]

The Folk Awards was hosted by Mike Harding between 2000 and 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 on the BBC Radio 2 website and the BBC iPlayer.

Voting

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 panelists can vary slightly from year to year, with new panelists 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.[3]

The 'Best Original Track' 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.[4]

The 'Best Album' category is decided by a public vote, hosted on the BBC website.[5]

Award winners

2016

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

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/egqwrz
  2. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/apr/23/bbc-folk-awards-wales-homegrown-talent-9bach-meredydd-evans-nancy-kerr-sam-sweeney
  3. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1kbxTJKTvdflnwhRTBs04qY/bbc-radio-2-folk-awards-rules
  4. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1kbxTJKTvdflnwhRTBs04qY/bbc-radio-2-folk-awards-rules
  5. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/egqwrz

External links

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