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Radio 2 Folk Awards: John Martyn picks up Lifetime Achievement Award and performs with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones
John Martyn, the Scottish singer-songwriter, was presented with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award last night (Monday 4 February 2008) by his friend, Phil Collins – with whom he first collaborated on the 1980 album, Grace And Danger.
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In a special message for the night, Eric Clapton described John as being "so far ahead of everything, it's almost inconceivable" and acknowledged the extent of his influence on "everyone who ever heard him."
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John's live performance was enjoyed by an audience which included stars of the British folk scene, and guest presenters including Sean Bean, Brenda Blethyn, Romeo Stodart, of The Magic Numbers, and KT Tunstall.
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Graham Coxon, Blur guitarist and critically-acclaimed solo artist, presented the Good Tradition Award to Shirley Collins, in recognition of her exceptional work championing English song, and paid a fitting musical tribute with a performance of Just As The Tide Was Flowing.
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The big winner of the evening was Martin Simpson, who took home the Best Album award for Prodigal Son as well as Best Original Song for Never Any Good.
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The Imagined Village's Cold Haily Rainy Night received the award for Best Traditional Track. Other winners on the night included Lau, Best Group; John Tams & Barry Coope, Duo Of The Year; Andy Cutting, Musician Of The Year; and Bellowhead won Best Live Act for the second year running.
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All-girl folk quintet Rachel Unthank & The Winterset were confirmed as a group to watch out for, with this year's Horizon Award. Previous winners have included Cara Dillon, Jim Moray, Karine Polwart and this year's Folk Singer Of The Year, Scots/Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis.
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The ninth annual Radio 2 Folk Awards were held at The Brewery, in London, and hosted by Radio 2's Mike Harding, who said: "We celebrate another year of great music with well-deserved awards for exciting young traditionalists like Rachel Unthank and established, world-class musicians like John Martyn and Shirley Collins."
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Results of the Radio 2 Folk Awards:
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- Duo of the Year: John Tams & Barry Coope
Presented by Sean Bean
- Horizon Award (best emerging artist): Rachel Unthank & The Winterset
Presented by Alan Keen MP, member of the House of Commons Culture select committee and founder member of the All Party Parliamentary Folk Group.
- Best Traditional Track: Cold Haily Rainy Night by The Imagined Village
Presented by Bob Harris, Radio 2 presenter
- Musician of The Year: Andy Cutting (accordionist with Kate Rusby Band, June Tabor)
Presented by John Paul Jones
- Best Original Song: Never Any Good, by Martin Simpson
Presented by Steve Harley, Radio 2 presenter
- Folk Club of the Year: Dartford Folk Club
Presented by Jez Lowe, Folk Singer of the Year nominee and acclaimed folk musician
- Album of the Year: Prodigal Son, by Martin Simpson
Presented by Aled Jones, Radio 2 presenter
- Best Live Act: Bellowhead
Presented by Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers
- Good Tradition Award: Shirley Collins (for an exceptional contribution to folk music)
Presented by Graham Coxon
- Best Group: Lau
Presented by Brenda Blethyn
- Folk Singer of the Year: Julie Fowlis
Presented by KT Tunstall
- Lifetime Achievement Award: John Martyn
Presented by Phil Collins
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Notes to Editors
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Highlights of the Awards show will broadcast on Radio 2 in an extended edition of The Mike Harding Show, at 7.00pm on Wednesday 6 February, and will be available on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer for up to a week after transmission.
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Interviews, video of the performances and a picture gallery will be available at bbc.co.uk/radio2.
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The nominations followed a first round of voting by the awards' 170-strong panel of folk professionals, covering a broad cross-section of the world of folk, roots and acoustic music. This same panel picked the winner in each category.
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The Radio 2 Folk Awards and The Mike Harding Show are produced by Smooth Operations for Radio 2.
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Radio 2 Publicity
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