All sorts of folk…

Hosted by Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards were an entertaining event with the presentations being made by a variety of people including Michael Morpurgo, Stephen Mangan, Martin Freeman, Matt Berry, Richard Hawley, Sandy Shaw and more, and musical interludes by artists such as Joan Armatrading, Mark Knopfler, Rufus Wainwright (doing a tribute to Sandy Denny), the Unthanks, Norma Waterson and the Gift Band (including husband Martin Carthy and daughter Eliza), John McCusker and band (including Andy Cutting), Katheryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, Sam Lee and an amazing choir, the Young’uns and breakthrough band Lynched.

The winners were:

Folk singer of the year: Rhiannon Giddens.

Best group: the Young’uns.

Best album: Mount the Air by the Unthanks.

Musician of the year: Andy Cutting.

Best duo: Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman.

Horizon award: Sam Kelly.

Young folk award: Brighde Chaimbeul.

Best original song: Mackerel by the Rheingans Sisters.

Best traditional track: Lovely Molly by Sam Lee.

Lifetime achievement awards: Joan Armatrading and Norma Waterson.

Good Tradition award: John McCusker.

Hall of fame inductee: Sandy Denny.

We watched the event from one of the boxes in the attractive Royal Albert Hall and thoroughly enjoyed the event. The lengthy travel into and out of London by public transport (tackling strikes and closures for repair works) we didn’t enjoy so much – one of the disadvantages of living out in the countryside.