Scrumpy & Western

The definitive guide to the West Country music

The Scrumpy & Western Music Awards 2008

As well as re-launching the Scrumpy & Western Hall of Fame, 2008 sees the inaugural Scrumpy & Western Music Awards. These awards are to recognise achievement by Scrumpy & Western artists in the various categories, in the furthering and broadening of Scrumpy & Western music genre throughout the year.

We have four categories - Band or Artiste of the Year, Comedian of the Year, Album or Single of the Year, Non-Musical Release of the Year - as well as the 2008 inductee for the Scrumpy & Western Hall of Fame.

And the winners are...

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Band Of The Year 2008: The Wurzels

Throughout their history, The Wurzels have done more to further and broaden of Scrumpy & Western music genre than anyone. 2008 saw the 50th birthday of the writing of Drink Up Thy Cider, and Tommy Banner celebrating 40 years with the band. And while we didn't see the band build on their chart success of 2007, The Wurzels did play a number of high profile gigs - none more so than their triumphant return to the Glastonbury Festival in June. They also featured at Bestival (voted the Best New Festival of 2008) as well as the Rehydrate The West Festival. In addition they made history by being the first band to feature on a Monopoly board, and launched a brand new high-profile website.

Other nominees were The Mangledwurzels who played over 100 gigs in 2008 including the massive Bristol Harbour Festival and several high profile cider festivals - and managed to get onto primetime TV on Britain's Best Dish, and Who's Afear'd whose album spawned some nice radical anti-Hampshire publicity across the local press.

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Comedian Of The Year 2008: Bill Bailey

2008 was an impressive year for Bill Bailey. Starting the year with two high profile charity shows in London, he then headlined at the Eden Sessions, Edinburgh Festival and the Latitude and Big Chill Festivals. By August he was on tour of Australia and New Zealand, and on his return he toured Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra with a 72 piece symphony orchestra, before finishing the year with a sell-out residency at the Gielgud Theatre in London. He even managed to release a new DVD for the Christmas market. Wow!

Other nominees were Jethro who continues to tour like a maniac across the country and released his annual DVDs for Christmas, and Justin Lee Collins for his continued success breaking into mainstream TV.

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Album Of The Year 2008: Day Of The Badger by Who's Afear'd

It may sound like it was recorded in a skittle alley at the back of a Dorset pub on a budget of a few quid (which it was!), and it hasn't got an original song on it - but Day Of The Badger is still without doubt the Scrumpy & Western release of the year. It's as raw as hell and as rough as the end of pint of Badger - and it is without doubt the funniest, cleverest, wittiest, smuttiest release of 2008. Eleven parodies and one cover (Dorset Is Beautiful) blend incisive political commentary with crass punk rudeness - your mother won't approve, the vicar would be shocked, but you and your mates should love it! Highlights would be Mr Sandbanks (an attack on Dorset's answer to Monte Carlo), My Willy's Getting Hard (just plain smut!) and I've Been Everywhere (in Dorset - clever stuff). I think Adge would approve!

Other nominees were The Wurzels with Bush and Troy's Christmas single Last Christmas, The Somerset Paddies live album Refuel: Live at the Wellie and The Cutlers Of Cornwall's album A Country Life.

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Release Of The Year 2008: Marnin' Moonrakers by Keith Burge and Tom Mills of The Yokels

This is the category for non-music releases within the genre. We are unsure whether there will be enough releases to continue this award in future years, but for 2008 we had a nice selection to choose from. The winner was deemed to be Keith Burge and Tom Mills of The Yokels for their book Marnin' Moonrakers. A clever and nicely put together tome of Wiltshire wit and dialect; and the lads did a lot of book signing sessions and media work to support the release - and thoroughly deserve the award.

Other nominees were the Monopoly: Somerset Version (featuring The Wurzels!), Bill Bailey's latest DVD Tinselworm and Jethro's latest DVD A Giant Portion of Jethro.

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And the 2008 inductee into the Scrumpy & Western Hall of Fame is Paul Gunningham

Webmaster, archivist and music fan (and songwriter and performer!), Paul Gunningham has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame following his sad death in 2007. As well as setting up and editing the Wurzelmania! and Scrumpy & Western websites, Paul worked tireless to promote the genre through his writing and campaigning to get more of Adge Cutler & The Wurzels releases reissued by EMI. His sudden death in 2007 through injuries sustained in a road traffic accident was a shock to us all, and he is still sadly missed.

The Hall Of Fame committee also recognises the sad loss to the genre of former Wurzels bass player John 'Jai' Howe (pictured left) who passed away on 5th February 2008.

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