I've been reading Emma Hartley's blog with interest.

In response to the conspiracy theorists' accusations of a stitch-up, SmoothOps spokeswoman Kellie While replied that it's all monitored and signed-off by the BBC. She seems to fail to realise that for many on the folk scene that is not reassuring - the BBC's neglect of folk music, and its closing of more and more folk programmes, is a scandal. Mike Harding's show clearly has a remit of not letting those ghastly folkies drive away the audience, rather than providing something for real folk enthusiasts.

Personally, I don't buy into the conspiracy theory. I think the same acts keep on getting nominated because they're consistently good. Whether the "experts" really have as wide a view of the folk scene, and whether all the deserving performers are on their radar, is another matter, but the fact that quite recent acts such as Pilgrims' Way have got themselves nominated suggest to me that the experts aren't quite as blinkered as some would make out.