Singer songwriter Richard Thompson was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in London yesterday, before taking to the stage to perform both solo and with his original band, Fairport Convention. Aptly, the Fairport Convention line up Thompson joined at the awards show was that which had recorded the album 'Liege And Lief', which was voted Most Influential Folk Album Of All Time by Radio 2 listeners prior to the event.
Other winners at the awards ran thus:
Folk Singer Of The Year: John Tams
Best Duo: John Spiers & Jon Boden
Best Group: Flook
Best Album: The Reckoning: John Tams
Best Original Song: One In A Million: Chris Wood & Hugh Lupton
Best Traditional Track: Bitter Withy: John Tams
Horizon Award: Julie Fowlis
Musician Of The Year: Michael Mcgoldrick
Best Live Act: Kate Rusby
Good Tradition Award: Ashley Hutchings
Folk Club Award: Red Lion, Birmingham
Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul Brady
Lifetime Achievement Award: Richard Thompson
Audience Vote: Most Influential Folk Album Of All Time: Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief