So...who is going to win the real folk awards?


FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR
Nic Jones
Sam Lee
Jim Moray
Karine Polwart

This has to go to Nic Jones, doesn't it? On the grounds of being a legend. I doubt if the others would actually want to win against him.

ACTUAL WINNER: Nic Jones...of course.

BEST DUO
Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts
Hannah James & Sam Sweeney
O'Hooley & Tidow
Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman


I vote for O'Hooley and Tidow. I suspect it will actually go to the more conventionally folkie Hannah and Sam, and I won't complain at all. (Just listening to them on the radio box now, and they are awesome.

ACTUAL WINNERS: Kathryn and Sean. Fairy nuff. Enjoyed them both times I've heard them, and the "Ballad of Andy Jacobs" is a lovely song.

BEST GROUP
Bellowhead
Lau
Treacherous Orchestra
The Unthanks

The BBC constitution states that this award has to go to Bellowhead. Lau are very good as well, of course, although my stamina gives out during very extended diddly diddly dee riffs.

ACTUAL WINNERS: Lau. Okay. Good. Like Lau. They go diddly diddly dee faster and faster on lots of instruments at once. Honestly, I like them. But altogether not enough murder, incest, and ladies sewing silken seams.


BEST ALBUM [Public vote with five nominees]
Broadside – Bellowhead
Ground Of Its Own - Sam Lee
Race The Loser – Lau
Skulk - Jim Moray

I would give this to Jim (who was one of my nominations for album of the year); but since its a public folk its bound to go to Bellowhead, isn't it?

ACTUAL WINNERS: Bellowhead. Yeah. Obviously. I didn't think Broadside was as good as their previous albums, but it was a foregone conclusion and Ten Thousand Miles Away is a great song. Glad Spiers and Boden are returning to their roots a bit in the new year, though.

HORIZON AWARD
Blair Dunlop
Luke Jackson
Maz O'Connor
Rura

Well, obviously, I'm routing for Monty Award Winner Luke Jackson. My prediction, however, is that Luke will win the Young Folkie and Blair Dunlop will win this one. He's in the Albion Band who made my favourite album of the year.

ACTUAL WINNER: Yeah, Blair wins it. Only heard him solo once, don't remember being all that excited, but he's fantastic as a component of the Albions.


MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Ross Ainslie
Duncan Chisholm
Sam Sweeney
Kathryn Tickell

Surely this had to go to Kathryn Tickell...?

ACTUAL WINNER: ...and it did.


BBC RADIO 2 YOUNG FOLK AWARD
Luke Jackson
Graham Mackenzie & Ciorstaidh Beaton
Thalla
Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar

Luke Jackson, again: although in the interest of balance, I haven't heard any of the other nominees...

ACTUAL WINNER: Bah, humbug. Actually, I think that the judges prefer something from the more diddly-diddly-dee traditional end of folk, and the two lads who won (Graham Mackenzie & Ciorstaidh Beaton) deserved the prize for the acceptance speech alone. (Did he really thank his prefect?)

BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK
Lord Douglas by Jim Moray
Tha Sneachd‘ air Druim Uachdair by Kathleen MacInnes
Unknown Air by Duncan Chisholm
Wild Wood Amber by Sam Lee

Jim Moray, absolutely no contest. Although I suppose you could argue that its not traditional, since he wrote it himself...

ACTUAL WINNER: Yup, Jim gets it. Fabulous, fabulous song.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Hatchlings by Emily Portman
King of Birds by Karine Polwart
Tailor by Anaïs Mitchell
The Ballad of Andy Jacobs by Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman

This is a hard one... I think I would vote for the Ballad of Andy Jacobs, but that's because I'm a sucker for slightly overwrought story songs. Folkbuddy would vote for Hatchlings, I think.

ACTUAL WINNER: Hatchlings it is. Actually, after the performance on the show, I almost changed my vote to Karine Polwart -- King of Birds is a lovely piece too.


So...I have my whisky and my red button set up.. I would like to apologize in advance to all the acts whose chances of winning the competition I have jinxed.