Taylor takes home top folk award

James Taylor performed at President Obama's inauguration

James Taylor has been given a lifetime achievement award at Radio 2's annual folk music awards.

The American singer-songwriter, best known for Something In The Way She Moves, was honoured alongside Judy Collins at the event in east London.

Sixty-year-old Taylor said: "I'm happier to be an ageing folkie than an ageing pop matinee idol."

Musician Chris Wood took home the album of the year prize for Trespasser and was named folk singer of the year.

Taylor moved to London in the late 1960s and became the first non-British artist to sign to The Beatles' Apple label.

He recorded his debut album in the studio next door to the Fab Four while they recorded The White Album.

He said: "It seemed like the centre of the universe, it was all happening here and it seemed so unreal."

Taylor enjoyed a string of hits throughout the 70s including Sweet Baby James, Fire And Rain and Carolina In My Mind.

He now lives in Massachusetts, and continues to play more than 50 shows a year.

Other winners at the awards included Lau, who were named best group and All You Pretty Girls, by Andy Partridge, which was named best original song.

Newcastle-based fiddler Tom McConville won the musician of the year prize.