Artists And Presenters Confirmed For BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2005

LONDON, UK (BBC Radio 2) - Two pioneers of folk music, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Tom Paxton, will perform at this year's BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ceremony on Monday 14 February at The Brewery, London.

The awards also feature live music from Martin Carthy, Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell and five times nominated Karine Polwart as well as Eddi Reader, Bellowhead, and Oysterband Big Session featuring June Tabor and Show of Hands.

Steeleye Span, celebrating 35 years in the music business, will close the show.

Award presenters include folk legend and founder member of Fairport Convention Ashley Hutchings, Liberal Democrats Party Leader Charles Kennedy MP, Iron Maiden frontman and broadcaster Bruce Dickinson, Slade front man and radio personality Noddy Holder, Sir Gerald Kaufman MP and folk singer turned West End star Barbara Dickson.

Radio 2 Folk Awards producer John Leonard says: "It's a great privilege to have Ramblin' Jack and Tom Paxton at the Folk Awards.

"They are true statesmen of the folk genre with more than a century of musicianship between them, and each has made an enormous contribution to folk music."

Highlights from the night, hosted by Mike Harding and Mary Ann Kennedy, will be broadcast in a special two hour edition of Mike's Radio 2 show on Wednesday 16 February at 7.00pm.

Highlights can also be seen on BBC FOUR on Friday 18 February from 9.30 to 11.00pm.

More than a hundred music industry professionals made up of broadcasters, agents, manager, promoters and journalists voted for the finalists.

The Radio 2 Folk Awards have honoured the best in folk, roots and acoustic music with an annual awards ceremony since 2000, seeking to highlight excellence in acoustic and traditional music and celebrate the vibrant folk music scene.

Full details of the 2005 nominations, previous winners and the history of the Radio 2 Folk Awards can be found on bbc.co.uk/radio2.

The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards are produced by Smooth Operations for Radio 2.