Another 5p's worth from me (there seem to be several threads on this issue, and I've had my say elsewhere, but then so have most other people here).

Firstly, I agree with those who seek to defend Seth Lakeman from the scathing attacks by some people in this and other threads.

Those who don't like him or his music or singing style for whatever reason are using the "White Hare" issue as an excuse to attack him. These people are entitled to their views, but they are diverting attention from the issue that concerns the rest of us, namely the nomination of a non-traditional song for the "best traditional track" category in the BBC Folk Awards.

I happen to like Seth, and have seen him live several times, and I've thoroughly enjoyed him and his band's gigs. He isn't an overnight success by any means, and is talented and hard working (why do you think he appears at so many festivals, on TV and radio shows, etc.? Because to quote George above, he "puts in the hours". [One good quote deserves another, George :-)]). If some of the people who moan that he has passed them by, would try following his example instead of whingeing about their lot, maybe they would get somewhere themselves.

Yes, I wrote a parody song which pokes fun at him and his song, but Seth is not the target of the song. The target is Smooth Ops' John Leonard, who seems stubbornly incapable of seeing that, even by his own definition given on R4 last week, Seth's song "White Hare" is not a traditional song, and should not be included in the traditional song nominations.

This is the only important issue with the Folk Awards as far as I'm concerned. I happen to like a lot of the artists that are regularly played on R2. I realise there are many other deserving artists that ought to be up there with them, but that doesn't mean the favoured ones are rubbish (again, we all have our likes and dislikes). But that's another issue and I don't want to get into that here.

I would feel the same if (as suggested in another thread), say, Martin Carthy or John Kirkpatrick had one of their own songs entered for the 'traditional' category. It's just plain wrong, and as some say above, it's an important principle. If the BBC/SMooth Ops can get away with this, what next - James Blunt's latest effort being voted best traditional song?

I could go on but I think that's enough for now.