Ok Vic,"The problem with that, Les, is the words some kind" - well we have been around that can of worms a few times on here and many contribitions have been ................ I can't be bothered.

Life time Achievments have gone to 8 English, 3 Irish, 2 Scots and 7 from the US. So, yes the US is over represented. But to descibe Steve Earle, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Tom Paxton, James Taylor, Judy Collins and Nanci Griffith as "past it American performer(s)" is clearly your opinion but not everyones.

I can imagine another end of this discussion in which some civilian goes to a singaround and dies of boredom or someone takes a whistle or guitar to a tunes session and gets frozen out.

That is just about as representative of the state of English folk as the Awards but it happens.

Gregs comments about the managment and promotion of our kind of live music by people in the awards is more crucial. It seems that currently loads of younger and not so young people are making great music that is trad or close to it. Are they getting some kind of equal or fair access to audiences that would enjoy their music - probably not.

Best wishes

L in C#