The Stars shine at the BBC Folk Awards
The winners of the Radio 2 Folk Awards 2018 have been announced at a ceremony broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 and Radio Ulster, based in Belfast, Waterfront Hall.
The price has seen a host of musicians come together for an evening of recognition and show-stopping performances.
The ceremony was presented by Radio 2 Folk Show host Mark Radcliffe and singer Julie Fowlis.
The price is included the Folk Singer of the Year, Best Duo, Best Album, Musician of the Year, and the Young Folk Award.
Belfast music legend Van Morrison presented the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for the musician and producer Dónal Lunny, for his contribution to folk music.
The Good Tradition award was presented to the Armagh Pipers Club to acknowledge their contribution to the preservation, dissemination and progression of traditional music over the past 50 years.
The Folk Singer of the Year was awarded to Scottish singer-songwriter and musician, Karine Polwart, a talented artist who is also a theatre maker, storyteller, spoken-word performer and essayist.
Dónal Lunny took to the stage to perform with the famous musician Zoë Conway on fiddle, and earlier in the evening Cara Dillon performed accompanied by Sam Lakeman on piano and John Smith on guitar.
The opening of the show with a rousing performance of the Devil In The Woman was Eliza Carthy And The Wayward Band.
The gala evening featured performances of Lankum, with their song “What are We Going to Do When We Have No Money?”, The county of Tyrone, Paul Brady with a solo acoustic guitar version of the ballad “Lord Thomas And Fair Ellender”.
The nine-room of the Armagh Pipers Club brought the evening to a close with a performance of three specially composed new songs.
The evening included the presentation of the 20th edition of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, a competition of education which exists to discover the next generation of folk acts.
Mera Royle, a young harpist from the Isle of Man, was the recipient.
Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2, said: “I want to congratulate all tonight’s winners – the calibre of applicants was extremely high and the wealth of talent that has been seen on stage throughout the evening in Belfast was spectacular.
“The Radio 2 Folk Awards is an annual celebration of the thriving folk music scene – support both established and burgeoning folk musicians – and a part of our specialist music content that Radio 2 is proud to release in the whole year.”
Influential singer-songwriter Nick Drake was inducted into the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame to celebrate the impression that he has had on folk music, despite the death at the age of 26 years old in 1974. If he had lived, he would have been 70 this year.
Bryter Music
Olivia Chaney made a special tribute with a sublime piano interpretation of Drake key of the song, the River of the Man.
Olivia is a big fan of Nick Drake and multi-talented singer, musician and songwriter.
His work with The Decemberists, Offa Rex, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2017.
Although Nick Drake’s music did not collect a commercial success during his lifetime, decades after his death, his music would find a wide and respectful audience.Famous shy
Actor Gabrielle Drake, her older sister, who was present at the Radio 2 Folk Awards to tell the audience how his famous shy brother might have felt on the occasion.
Later tonight at 23:00 on Radio 2, the documentary “the Lost boys: In Search Of Nick Drake” will be rebroadcast.
In this program 2004 Hollywood movie star Brad Pitt shines a light on the life and work of the cult singer-songwriter.
Featured in the program of the contributions of the producer Joe Boyd, engineer John Wood, Fairport Convention, Ashley Hutchings, Gabrielle Drake, Nick’s late mother, Molly Drake.
The Folk Awards will be televised Sunday, April 8 on BBC four at 21:00 on BBC Two Northern Ireland at 17:30.
Some of the highlights will be available to watch on bbc.co.uk/radio2 after the show. The full list of winners:
HORIZON AWARD presented by Jamie Lawson
Ímar
BEST tradition of the TRACK presented by Val McDermid
Banks of Newfoundland by Siobhan Miller
BEST DUO presented by Rab Noakes
Chris Stout & Catriona McKay
MUSICIAN OF The YEAR presented by Leo Green
Mohsen Amini
The BEST of the ORIGINAL TRACK presented by Ralph McTell
The Granite Look by Lankum
The LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD presented by Van Morrison
Dónal Lunny
BEST BAND – presented by Finbar Furey
Lankum
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Nick Drake
YOUNG FOLK AWARD presented by Lynette Fay of BBC Radio Ulster
Mera Royle
BEST ALBUM presented by J. J. roger burnel of the Stranglers
Foreigners by The Young’uns
GOOD TRADITION AWARD , presented by Tommy Sands
Armagh Pipers Club
The FOLK SINGER OF The YEAR presented by Karan Casey
Karine Polwart
