If I were Seth Lakeman, I would now ask the BBC to withdraw The White Hare from the nominations as traditional song. This would make him appear to be 'doing the right thing', and enhance his reputation further. He will have gained the maximum publicity from the event, whihc will no doubt act to his advantage.

The BBC may decide to ignore his request, but at least he will be able to say he tried, and deflect any criticism. If he should win the award, this will cause resentment (not least from the other nominees), but maybe the decision has already been made that it won't win.