Wales' 9Bach win best album at BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

9Bach were formed by Lisa Jen and Martin Hoyland in 2005.

Welsh band 9Bach won the album of the year prize at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in Cardiff on Wednesday night.

9Bach, who sing in Welsh, picked up the award for their album Tincian.

They are the first Welsh act to win an award in the competition's 15-year history and they capped their night with a performance at the ceremony in the Wales Millennium Centre.

There was also a Good Tradition Award for folk historian Dr Meredydd Evans, who died aged 95 in February.

Dr Meredydd Evans was a folk historian and also a former head of BBC light entertainment in Wales

Dr Evans's daughter Eluned accepted the posthumous award and called for Wales to create a digital archive of folk music.

She hoped it could be arranged by the National Library of Wales, St Fagans Museum and politicians.

She said it would be great if this could be set up by July 2017.

There was also a tribute by Cerys Matthews, who presented the award and revealed that Dr Evans had been told he had won before he died in February, and he was "over the moon".

The award ceremony saw a host of folk music stars come together for an evening of recognition and performances.

The 16th annual ceremony was presented by Radio 2 Folk Show host, Mark Radcliffe, and world renowned Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis.

A Lifetime Achievement Award went to folk music legend Cat Stevens - also known as Yusuf.

Singer David Gray presented him with his award.

Cat Stevens - Yusuf - performing in the United States in February

Mr Stevens performed his new song, Cat and The Dog Trap, and his 1970 classic, Moonshadow.

Songwriter Loudon Wainwright III was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by BBC 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson.

Loudon took to the stage to perform I Knew Your Mother and Double Lifetime.

The evening featured live performances by an array of folk acts.

In addition there were a host of celebrities and musicians handing out the awards, including Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones.

She presented Nancy Kerr with the Folk Singer of the Year gong, and singer-songwriter Billy Bragg presented Peggy Seeger/Calum MacColl with Best Original Song award.

The evening also saw singer Ewan MacColl inducted into the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame.

Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said: "The Radio 2 Folk Awards is an annual celebration of the nation's longstanding devotion to the folk music scene.

"It is wonderful to be able to bring together such a high calibre line-up of artists and recognise their achievements over the past 12 months."

Full list of winners and nominees

BEST ALBUM - Tincian - 9Bach

• Fair Warning - The Rails

• Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour - Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker

• Sweet Visitor - Nancy Kerr

• The Moral Of The Elephant - Martin & Eliza Carthy

BEST GROUP - The Young 'Uns

• Bellowhead

• The Furrow Collective

• The Gloaming

FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR - Nancy Kerr

• Cara Dillon

• Julie Fowlis

• Jez Lowe

BEST DUO - Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker

• O'Hooley & Tidow

• Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar

• Chris While & Julie Matthews

BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK - Samhradh Samhradh - The Gloaming

• Bedlam - Stick In The Wheel

• Handsome Molly - The Furrow Collective

• Manus Mo Rùin - Cruinn

HORIZON AWARD - The Rails

• Ange Hardy

• Maz O'Connor

• Stick In The Wheel

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - Swim To The Star - Peggy Seeger

• The Necklace Of Wrens - The Gloaming

• The Pitmen Poets - Jez Lowe

• The Spider And The Wolf - Naomi Bedford

BBC RADIO 2 YOUNG FOLK AWARD - Talisk

• Cup O'Joe

• Roseanne Reid

• Wildwood Kin

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR WINNER - Sam Sweeney

• Martin Green

• Will Pound

• Kathryn Tickell

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - Cat Stevens / Loundon Wainwright III

GOOD TRADITION AWARD - Meredydd Evans

HALL OF FAME - Ewan Maccoll

The awards will be available to watch in full on the BBC iPlayer from 19:00 BST on Thursday for 30 days.