SINGER songwriter Seth Lakeman has been nominated for the prestigious Radio 2 Folk Awards 2005. Seth from Yelverton ? a former member of Equation which included his brothers Sean and Sam ? has been nominated for the Best Original Song and Horizon Award (newcomer) categories in next February?s awards. The 27-year-old performer was delighted. He said: ?It?s great, great news. I didn?t expect it. There are a lot of great up-and-coming artists and I was very surprised to be nominated. ?To be recognised in this way is just incredible. I?m particularly chuffed about the original song award nomination because my song is a Dartmoor story. ?The fact of being recognised as a songwriter is a very big thing for me. When you realise there are a lot of older, wiser writers who have been around the block a few times this is a great honour. ?I?m delighted with the nominations and I would be over the moon to receive just one award.? Judging takes place on February 14, Valentine?s Day. ?Hopefully, I will be able to smile and wink at the judges and they will be kind to me!? said Seth. The nominations were announced on BBC Radio 2 last week. It was the sort of recognition Seth had been hoping for following the highly successful reception of his debut album Kitty Jay earlier this year. The album was launched before an audience of inmates at Dartmoor Prison with Seth following in Johnny Cash?s footsteps by performing in a jail. The title track of the album ? Kitty Jay ? has been acclaimed by audiences at the live gigs Seth has been playing to promote the CD over the past year. This dramatic track with forceful and sweeping violin backing tells of the legend of Kitty Jay. A pregnant servant girl, she killed herself in shame and was buried on the moor. To this day fresh flowers are mysteriously left on her grave. Over the eleven tracks on this ambitious disc Seth attempts to capture the spirit and atmosphere of the moor in a collection of songs written and inspired by the stories and legends of his birthplace and home of Dartmoor. He is one of four nominees in the Best Original Song class. Sharing the slot is Kirsty McGee?s song Coffee Coloured Strings; Karine Polwart?s Only One Way and The Sun?s Comin? Over The Hill by Karine Polwart. Other nominations for the Horizon Award are: Anna Massie, Karine Polwart and Uiscedwr. The BBC Folk Awards were started in 1999 as a way of celebrating the past year?s achievements in the folk music world. This year?s voting panel has now completed the first stage of the voting process by nominating four acts in each category for this year?s awards. In round two, the panel will vote again to choose the winner for each category. The awards will be presented at the prestigious BBC Folk Awards 2004 held at The Brewery, London on February 14 2005. John Leonard, producer of The Mike Harding Show which showcases the best of folk music on Radio 2, said the awards were important both in recognising the work of artists and also in providing a showcase for their talents.