Nominees for the Folk Award categories were announced by Mark Radcliffe on the Radio 2 Folk Show last Wednesday. The awards show on Wednesday 27 April will also include the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award - the recipients of these will be announced at a later date. This year's inductee into the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame will be the legendary Sandy Denny. The Hall of Fame exists to recognise the special contribution of an individual to the world of folk music; someone whose impact and influence has had a lasting impression.

Dublin band Lynched have been nominated in a few categories including Best Group and Best Album. The vote is only open to UK voters. The band posted on their Facebook profile in language that in many ways defines their music. Brilliant.

They said: "'Cold Old Fire' has been nominated for Best Album at this year's BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and it's up to a public vote, but only for those of you residing in the UK, who can vote at the link below.

So if you've ever cared about us, even the tiniest little bit, now is your chance to help us out because, if we win this, we can slap it on every CD we make, every poster we print and every email we send from now until the end of time, thus convincing people all over the world that we're much more important than we actually are and providing us a platform to spout all sorts of incendiary nonsense that in all actuality should probably never be heard, to ears on heads in far and distant continents, that in all actuality should probably never hear it. We would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly share this link far and wide, as voting wraps up this Friday. Now, if only there were some way for people outside the UK to cleverly use the internet in a way that would allow them to cast a vote..."

To find out more and to cast your vote visit www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles

FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR

• Eliza Carthy
• Rhiannon Giddens
• Sam Lee
• Emily Portman

BEST DUO

• Gilmore & Roberts
• Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin
• Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman
• Marry Waterson & David A. Jaycock

BEST GROUP

• Leveret
• Lynched
• Stick In The Wheel
• The Young’uns

BEST ALBUM

• Damien O’Kane – Areas of High Traffic
• Lynched – Cold Old Fire
• The Unthanks – Mount The Air
• False Lights – Salvor
• Show of Hands – The Long Way Home

HORIZON AWARD

• Rosie Hood
• Sam Kelly
• Lynched
• The Rheingans Sisters

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

• Ross Ainslie
• Andy Cutting
• Richard Thompson