After their triumphant evening at this year’s Radio 2 Folk Awards, veteran singer June Tabor and Oysterband must be wondering why they left it 21 years before resuming a collaboration that began in 1990 with the album Freedom and Rain.
At last night’s ceremony, held at Salford’s Lowry Theatre and introduced by Mike Harding and Julie Fowlis, the Warwick-born singer and her band swept the board in the major categories of best group, best traditional track (Bonny Bunch of Roses) and best album (Ragged Kingdom). June then topped off a triumphant evening by picking up the folk singer of the year trophy from actor Stephen Mangan.
Lifetime achievement awards were handed to Don McLean and the Dubliners, who, despite getting on in years, have lost none of their twinkle and closed the show with a rousing rendition of Whisky in the Jar.
In a demonstration of just how folk music is in good hands, Irish band Ioscaid were popular winners of the young folk award and there was a tie for best original song between Bella Hardy (The Herring Girl) and Steve Tilston (The Reckoning).
It was an unfortunate night for The Unthanks, who found themselves nominated in a year when nothing was going to stop the Tabor/Oysterband juggernaut, and they missed out on all four awards they were up for. However, their haunting rendition of King of Rome accompanied by the Brighouse and Rastrick band was one of the performance highlights of the evening.
The awards ceremony can be viewed on the red button from 9pm on Thursday and on the BBC Radio 2 website.
Full results
(winner in bold)
FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR
Jon Boden
Jackie Oates
Emily Smith
June Tabor
BEST DUO
Tim Edey & Brendan Power
Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell
Spiers & Boden
Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight
BEST GROUP
Bellowhead
The Home Service
June Tabor & Oysterband
The Unthanks
BEST ALBUM
Last – The Unthanks
Purpose & Grace – Martin Simpson
Ragged Kingdom – June Tabor & Oysterband
Saturnine – Jackie Oates
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
The Herring Girl – Bella Hardy
Last – Adrian McNally (performed by The Unthanks)
On Morecambe Bay – Kevin Littlewood (performed by Christy Moore)
The Reckoning – Steve Tilston
BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK
Bonny Bunch of Roses – June Tabor & Oysterband
Lakes of Ponchartrain – Martin Simpson
Maids When You’re Young – Lucy Ward
Sweet Lover of Mine – Emily Smith
HORIZON AWARD
Megan Henwood
Lady Maisery
Pilgrims’ Way
Lucy Ward
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Andy Cutting
Tim Edey
Will Pound
Martin Simpson
BEST LIVE ACT
Bellowhead
The Home Service
Peatbog Faeries
The Unthanks
BBC RADIO 2 YOUNG FOLK AWARD
Sunjay Brayne
Blair Dunlop
Ioscaid
Graham Mackenzie
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Dubliners
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Don McLean
GOOD TRADITION AWARD
Ian Campbell
GOOD TRADITION AWARD
Bill Leader
ROOTS AWARD
Malcolm Taylor