The great and the good of folk, roots and acoustic music, from veteran pioneers to new, young talent, were celebrated at the Radio 2 Folk Awards in the majestic setting of the Royal Albert Hall. Here are some of the highlights...
1. Orkney's folk foursome Fara demonstrated some fine fiddling.
2. Folk rocker Al Stewart received the Lifetime Achievement award and we learnt that he was in a band with legendary DJ Tony Blackburn.
...and after that revelation he went on to perform On The Border from his 1976 album Year of the Cat.
3. "I hate a song that makes you think that you're not any good" - Billy Bragg quotes his hero and our Hall of Fame winner Woody Guthrie.
...and Billy did his own rendition of Woody's song, I Ain't Got No Home.
4. The Royal Albert Hall audience witnessed a moving performance of Ballads of Child Migration.
The songs tell the heartbreaking story of over 100,000 children sent from Britain without parents and without choice to supposed new lives in Australia and Canada between 1863 and 1970. Narrated by Barbara Dickson it also featured the voices of Kris Drever, Jez Lowe, While & Matthews, Boo Hewerdine, O'Hooley and Tidow, John McCusker, Andy Cutting and Mike McGoldrick.
5. One of the great English traditional singers, Shirley Collins MBE, performed after a 30 year absence.
Shirley sang Washed Ashore from her remarkable comeback album, Lodestar, which comes more than three decades after she lost her singing ability and retired from performing and recording.
6. A champion of folk music for 50 years, Ry Cooder picked up the Lifetime Achievement award.
He went on to give us a rare UK performance of Jesus on the Mainline, and the audience sang along...
7. We got a powerful reminder that there's definitely no shame in being in a skiffle band - and Mark Kermode should know...
8. Jim Moray rounded off an amazing night with a modern take on traditional English ballad Fair Margaret and Sweet William.
Get more Folk Awards goodness here, including all the winners and more performance videos
