June Tabor big winner at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

Singer June Tabor, a veteran of the English folk scene, won four Awards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards at The Lowry theatre in Salford on Wednesday evening February 8, 2012. She was named folk singer of the year for the second time in her career and also shared the best group, best album and best traditional track awards with her collaborators The Oysterband. Other winners included accordion and guitar virtuoso Tim Edey, who was named musician of the year and won best duo with harmonica player Brendan Power.Accepting her award for folk singer of the year, Tabor joked that she had been "too damn lazy" to learn to play an instrument and paid tribute to those she had worked with during her 35-year career. "Behind me are a remarkable collection [of people] who have enabled me not just to use my voice but my mind and my heart in sharing the songs that I love most with you," she said.A graduate of Oxford University who captained St Hugh's College on University Challenge in 1968, Tabor emerged on the folk scene in the 1970s.She worked as a librarian in London while recording a string of acclaimed albums. She turned her back on singing in the 1980s to run a restaurant in Cumbria before returning to music at the end of the decade. Tabor took her awards after releasing two albums in 2011. Her solo effort Ashore was inspired by the sea. The other, Ragged Kingdom, was recorded with The Oysterband, 21 years after their first collaboration."They say never go back, but I think we got away with it this time," the band's John Jones said. "I've no idea what it is about us and June that clicks so well but I'm really, really pleased that it does."It was the first time the ceremony had been held outside London and the first time members of the public had been allowed to attend. They gave rousing receptions to Irish stalwarts The Dubliners, who won a lifetime achievement award, and record producer Bill Leader, who was honoured with a "Good Tradition" award, for continuing the tradition of folk music.US singer Don McLean received a lifetime achievement award The award for best original song was shared by singers Bella Hardy and Steve Tilston, while folk-rockers The Home Service, who reformed last year after 25 years apart, were named best live act. Other winners included 21-year-old Lucy Ward who won the Horizon award - which recognises the achievements of newcomers - and six-piece Irish band Ioscaid who picked up the Young Folk award. Veteran singer Ian Campbell received a Good Tradition award and Malcolm Taylor, who has run the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at London's Cecil Sharp House for 30 years, was honoured with a Roots award. But Northumberland singing sisters The Unthanks, who had four nominations, walked away empty handed.Photo Credits: BBC