BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 winners announced

The winners of the Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 have been announced in a ceremony broadcast live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Now in their 18th year, the Awards are a key highlight of the folk music calendar and serve to raise the profile of folk music. Talent, new and old, received accolades including Folk Singer of the Year, Best Duo, Best Album, Musician of the Year, Young Folk Award and more. Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Ry Cooder and Al Stewart.

American roots-rock musician and songwriter, Ry Cooder, took to the stage for a rare UK performance, singing Jesus On The Mainline. A career-long champion of folk music, he is renowned for his inspired slide guitar playing, and through his own work and collaborations with others, from The Rolling Stones to The Chieftains and Buena Vista Social Club.

British singer-songwriter Al Stewart also took to the stage for a performance of his 1977 song, On The Border. Al started his career on the 1960s London folk scene, and has worked alongside Bert Jansch, Jimmy Page, John Renbourn, Rick Wakeman, Tori Amos, Roy Harper and many more. Appearing at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970, he became known for his brand of folk-rock, which he combined with tales of characters and events from history. He's best known for his 1970s hits Year of the Cat and Time Passages.

Tony Blackburn presented Al Stewart with his award and regaled the audience with his own personal story of Al. He explained that in the early 1960s, he had in fact been the lead guitarist in Tony’s own group, Tony Blackburn and the Swinging Bells.

Tony said: “We used to practice at my parents’ house and, as good as he was, he always played his electric guitar far too loud as it always drowned out my vocals… The fact I’m here tonight will do Al’s credibility a lot of damage but I don’t care as I’ve enjoyed playing Year Of The Cat very much over the years and I haven’t seen him in a long time. It really is an honour to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to such a talented musician.”

The evening opened with a rousing performance by Afro Celt Sound System. And across the night there were spectacular performances from Shirley Collins MBE (performing Washed Ashore), Daoirí Farrell (Van Diemen’s Land), Jim Moray (Fair Margaret And Sweet William), Billy Bragg (I Ain’t Got No Home), and Fara (Three Fishers).

There was a powerful and moving performance taken from the Ballads Of Child Migration, which tells the story of the enforced migration of over 100,000 children to Australia and Canada between 1863 and 1970. The specially-curated performance was narrated by Barbara Dickson with original songs performed by Kris Drever, Jez Lowe, While & Matthews, Boo Hewerdine, O'Hooley & Tidow, John McCusker, Andy Cutting and Michael McGoldrick.

Folk icon Woody Guthrie was inducted into the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame, to celebrate his lasting influence. Billy Bragg performed a special tribute with a rendition of Guthrie’s I Ain’t Got No Home. The celebration marked 50 years since Guthrie's death in 1967, aged 55. The musician wrote some of the most enduring standards in the genre with his life and work dedicated to supporting and documenting the rights of workers and the downtrodden. His songs have been covered by countless singers from Bruce Springsteen to Lady Gaga and he was a mentor to a young Bob Dylan and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.

Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2 says: “Huge congratulations to all the winners of the Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 - the calibre of all the nominees was outstanding. This annual event is a wonderful celebration of the vibrant folk music scene and tonight’s show was spectacular, featuring some of folk’s most long standing, biggest and newest stars who Radio 2 is committed to supporting throughout the year.”

The Folk Awards will be broadcast on BBC Four on Sunday 9 April at 10pm as an hour-long highlights programme which will include all the performances.

Full list of winners

  • Folk Singer Of The Year presented by Sharleen Spiteri
    Kris Drever
  • Best Duo presented by Peter Lord of Aardman Animations
    Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton
  • Best Group presented by Sir Ray Davies
    The Furrow Collective
  • Best Album presented by Mark Kermode
    Songs Of Separation by Songs of Separation
  • Horizon Award presented by Rachel and Becky Unthank (of The Unthanks)
    Daoirí Farrell
  • Musician Of The Year presented by Gus Unger-Hamilton from Alt-J
    Rachel Newton
  • Best Original Track presented by Susie Dent
    If Wishes Were Horses by Kris Drever
  • Best Traditional Track presented by Pauline Black of The Selecter
    Van Diemen’s Land by Daoirí Farrell
  • BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award presented by Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention
    Josie Duncan and Pablo Lafuente
  • Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Tony Blackburn
    Al Stewart
  • Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Nick Lowe
    Ry Cooder
  • Hall Of Fame Inductee
    Woody Guthrie

Building up to the Awards, Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 Drivetime programme was broadcast live from the Royal Albert Hall. In the show, Simon counted down the Top 10 Most Played Folk Songs on Radio 2.

Compiled by PPL, the Number 1 track was Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ Wild World - released in 1970, which featured on his fourth album, Tea for the Tillerman. It wasn’t released as a single in the UK, but reached No 11 on the US Billboard chart. Jimmy Cliff released his recording of Wild World in 1970 – produced by Cat Stevens - reaching No 8 in the UK; with Maxi Priest hitting No 5 with his version in 1988.

Cat was presented with the Lifetime Achievement honours at the Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2015.

Top 10 Most Played Folk Songs on Radio 2

1. Yusuf/Cat Stevens - Wild World
2. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
3. Bellowhead - Roll The Woodpile Down
4. Lindisfarne - Meet Me On The Corner
5. Kate Rusby - Underneath The Stars
6. Nick Drake - River Man
7. The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues
8. Thea Gilmore and Sandy Denny - London
9. Ralph McTell - Streets Of London
10. Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

Yusuf/Cat Stevens said: “I’m surprised that we actually pipped to the post all these great folk singers and that it’s still being played. That makes me feel very satisfied and it shows that the song and the meaning is still relevant. Of course it is relevant because wild world is exactly what it is and exactly what we’re living in right now and it’s getting wilder perhaps.”

Notes to Editors

  • The Radio 2 Folk Awards are produced by Kellie While for 7digital, and the BBC Radio 2 Editor is Al Booth
  • The Most Played Folk Songs on Radio 2 chart was compiled by PPL, based on airplay data reported to PPL by the BBC from 2000 to 2016. Both the number of plays and total played duration are used to rank the tracks in the charts. PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation (CMO) for tens of thousands of performers and record companies, licensing recorded music in the UK when it is played in public or broadcast.

April 7, 2017 5:34am ET by BBC Radio 2  

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