James Findlay, a 20-year-old singer/guitarist is the 2009 winner of the BBC Young Folk Award, chosen by a six-strong judging panel on Friday evening (Dec 4).
One immediate prize for James was an offer of a performing slot at Fairport Convention's annual Cropredy festival, to be held this year between Aug 12-14. Simon Nicol, a Fairport founding member, and the organiser of Cropredy, Gareth Williams, were present for the final round of the awards.
Echoing my own thoughts about the BBC award (I have a loose association, having been one of the judges in 1998 when Tim van Eyken won by a mile), Simon - pictured above with the awards show presenter Mike Harding, the pair on either side of James - said:
"James has a great voice, somewhat reminiscent of Mike Waterson, and he's no slouch on the guitar either. We're really looking forward to hearing him play at Cropredy 2010. Winning the award is a beginning for young musicians, a springboard from which their careers can take off. Every year, it is a delight to watch these youngsters not just the winner but all the finalists, blossom and flower as musicians."
Previous winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award have also appeared at Cropredy. They include Bodega, Last Orders, Give Way, Uiscedwr, Jeana Leslie & Siobhan Miller, and Megan & Joe Henwood.
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