James Taylor to be honoured at Folk Awards

14:29 | Monday January 19, 2009

James Taylor virtually invented the singer-songwriter genre with a string of hits in the Seventies including Sweet Baby James, Fire And Rain and Carolina In My Mind. Over the course of his prestigious career Taylor has been the recipient of numerous awards for his timeless catalogue of songs.

Judy Collins’ distinctive voice and interpretations of folk songs and standards have brought acclaim during a distinguished career now entering its fifth decade. As well as hits Send in the Clowns and Both Sides Now she brought Leonard Cohen’s songs to a wider audience. Musicians citing her as an influence include Joan Baez, Dolly Parton, and Chrissie Hynde.

The Awards show also features performances by the current Folk Singer of the Year Julie Fowlis and by five times nominated singer-songwriter Chris Wood. Jim Moray, nominated for Best Album and Best Original Song, performs his cover of Andy Partridge’s All You Pretty Girls, while Best Live Act nominee Seth Lakeman opens the show.

The 10th annual Radio 2 Folk Awards take place at The Brewery in London and are hosted by Radio 2’s weekly folk show presenter, Mike Harding. Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie present their Radio 2 show live from backstage at the Awards between 8-10pm.

Extended highlights of the Awards are broadcast on Radio 2 on February 4 from 7pm.

Singer-songwriter and musician Chris Wood leads the way with five nominations, following the release earlier this year of his album Trespasser. He is nominated in the categories Folk Singer of the Year, Best Album, Best Traditional Track and twice in the Best Original Song category.

Also high in the nominations is the winner of the 2004 Horizon Award and Best Album, Jim Moray, back in contention for Best Album for Low Culture and Best Traditional Track for his urban version of Lucy Wan. His treatment of Andy Partridge’s All You Pretty Girls wins a nomination for the XTC frontman for Best Original Song.

The 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards nominations are:

FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR

Chris Wood

Eliza Carthy

Julie Fowlis

Karine Polwart

BEST DUO

Bob Fox & Stu Luckley

Chris While & Julie Matthews

Megson

Spiers & Boden

BEST GROUP

Bellowhead

Faustus

Lau

Mawkin:Causley

BEST ALBUM

Dreams of Breathing Underwater – Eliza Carthy

Low Culture – Jim Moray

This Earthly Spell – Karine Polwart

Trespasser – Chris Wood

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

All You Pretty Girls – Andy Partridge (performed by Jim Moray)

Come Down Jehovah – Chris Wood (performed by Chris Wood)

Mr Magnifico – Eliza Carthy/Ben Ivitsky (performed by Eliza Carthy)

The Cottager’s Reply – Frank Mansell/Chris Wood (performed by Chris Wood)

BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK

Fakenham Fair – Bellowhead

Lucy Wan – Jim Moray

The Lady of York – Chris Wood

The Lark in the Morning – Jackie Oates

HORIZON AWARD

Bella Hardy

Jackie Oates

Jeana Leslie & Siobhan Miller

The Shee

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

John McCusker

Martin Simpson

Phil Beer

Tom McConville

BEST LIVE ACT

Bellowhead

The Demon Barbers

Lau

Seth Lakeman