Martin Simpson, Julie Fowlis dominate BBC awards
February 04, 2008
Martin Simpson's marvellous Prodigal Son is tonight's winner of the BBC Folk Awards album of the year section, while its outstanding track, Never Any Good, wins in the Best Original Song category to hand him a notable double.
Julie Fowlis was voted Folk Singer of the Year while Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, nominated for four awards, had to settle for the Horizon prize honouring Best Emerging Artist.
Salut! Live is happy to endorse the findings, having cast its own preferences - OK, mine - in favour of Martin Simpson in both the categories won by him, and Rachel's band in hers. Here and at the Telegraph, Julie has been given highly positive mention, but I would have given Martin the title she won, too.
Shirley Collins, Lau and John Martyn are among the other winners named in the 2008 awards ceremony and the full list is as follows:
FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR Julie Fowlis
BEST DUO John Tams and Barry Coope
BEST GROUP Lau
BEST ALBUM Prodigal Son (Martin Simpson)
BEST ORIGINAL SONG Never Any Good (Martin Simpson)
BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK Cold Haily Rainy Night (The Imagined Village)
HORIZON AWARD Rachel Unthank & The Winterset
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Andy Cutting
BEST LIVE ACT Bellowhead
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD John Martyn (
GOOD TRADITION AWARD (for an exceptional contribution to folk music) Shirley Collins
Salut! Live congratulates all the winners. As mentioned in the Rachel Unthank interview series, this was how I responded when the BBC canvassed my votes:
FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR Martin Simpson
BEST DUO Show of Hands
BEST GROUP Lau
BEST ALBUM Prodigal Son (Martin Simpson)
BEST ORIGINAL SONG Never Any Good (Martin Simpson)
BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK Cold Haily Rainy Night (The Imagined Village)
HORIZON AWARD Rachel Unthank & The Winterset
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Martin Simpson
BEST LIVE ACT Show of Hands
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