Elbow frontman Guy Garvey paid tribute to singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl with a performance of his classic track The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face at the Folk Awards.

The singer joined the late songwriter’s family on stage at the event which ended with MacColl inducted into its Hall of Fame.

MacColl, who died in 1989, wrote hundreds of songs in his lengthy career including Dirty Old Town about his home town of Salford.

Other winners at the event – formally known as the Radio 2 Folk Awards – included Cat Stevens and Loudon Wainwright III who were both given lifetime achievement awards.

Cat Stevens (Charles Sykes/Invision)
Cat Stevens (Charles Sykes/Invision)

Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, was given his award by singer-songwriter David Gray at the event at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said: “The Radio 2 Folk Awards is an annual celebration of the nation’s longstanding devotion to the folk music scene. It is wonderful to be able to bring together such a high calibre line-up of artists and recognise their achievements over the past 12 months.

“Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. The folk genre is a key highlight in the Radio 2 schedule and we are committed to broadcasting distinctive and diverse musical content.”

Radio 2 Folk Awards 2015 winners:

  • Folk singer of the year – Nancy Kerr
  • Best duo – Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker
  • Best group – The Young’uns
  • Best Album – Tincian by 9Bach
  • Horizon Award – The Rails
  • Musician of the Year – Sam Sweeney
  • Best Original Song – Swim to the Star by Peggy Seeger and Calum MacColl
  • Best Traditional Track – Samhradh Samhradh by The Gloaming
  • BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award – Talisk
  • Lifetime achievement award – Yusuf / Cat Stevens and Loudon Wainwright III
  • Good Tradition Award – Meredydd Evans
  • Hall of Fame – Ewan MacColl