It’s a hugely exciting time for the new-folk crowd. In the past week it has been announced that Brighton-based Wilkommen Collective act The Leisure Society has been nominated for an Ivor Novello award for their song The Last of the Melting Snow, which was released last Christmas.
The Ivor Novello awards are in their 54th year. Leisure Society songwriter Nick Hemming is in spectacularly illustrious company, with George Harrison having won the category in the past.
Nick is are up against The Last Shadow Puppets and Elbow for the gong. Amazingly, this is the first time in the history of the awards that a self-published musician has been nominated.
The winner will be announced on 21st May. FFS is heading to the bookies RIGHT NOW.
As if that wasn’t enough, a couple of days later we hear that Black Cab Sessions, the viral video website that films artists performing in London cabs, has been nominated for a New York Times webby award, “the leading international award honoring excellence on the internet”.
Black Cab Sessions, who have featured Emmy The Great, Johnny Flynn, Mumford and Sons and Left With Pictures and were voted in the Independents top 10 music sites of 2008, has made the final five in the Online Film & Video – Music section alongside Pitchfork TV.
The folks at Black Cab sessions are asking viewers to vote. It’s an arduous process but as they say they’re “up against whales of the industry. If ever there was a time to support the underdog, it’s gotta be now”. To vote visit http://pv.webbyawards.com, sign in, click on the film/video category, then select music in the drop down menu. Do it. For the sake of folk.
Words: Lynn Roberts
Read the FFS review of The Leisure Society’s album The Sleeper here