Tom Paxton will receive the accolade for lifetime achievement in songwriting during the BBC Folk Awards on Feb. 14. The event, organized by the British public broadcaster, will take place at the Brewery in London.
The Grammy-nominated American artist will perform during the ceremony, which will be broadcast on national AC station BBC Radio 2 and on digital TV channel BBC4.
The show will also feature performances by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Martin Carthy, Kathryn Tickell, Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Bellowhead, and Oysterband Big Session featuring June Tabor and Show of Hands. The show will close with veteran act Steeleye Span.
The BBC Folk Awards were launched in 1999. Awards are voted on by a panel of more than 100 broadcasters, journalists, festival organizers, agents, label executives and promoters.
Following the gala, Paxton will embark on the first leg of his farewell tour, with 13 dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Paxton is represented in Britain and the rest of Europe by Cole Musical Productions. His most recent studio album, the Grammy-nominated “Looking for the Moon” (Appleseed Records), was released in October 2002.
