John Tams received his EFDSS Gold Badge in 2015. Singer, writer, producer and actor John Tams was presented with his EFDSS Gold Badge live on air during a special feature on Mark Radcliffe’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. The 1970s saw Tams playing with Derbyshire folk group Muckram Wakes and The Albion Band, as well as accompanying Ashley Hutchings on a number of albums. A keen music collector, Tams also spent a long stint in Ireland during the seventies, recording many albums-worth of performances by traditional Irish musicians. Tams also enjoyed a successful career as an actor and musical director at the National Theatre for a decade, where he said his experience of folk clubs gave him the confidence to perform to an audience which was often just an arms-length away. His time at the National saw him involved in many productions including The Crucible, Lark Rise to Candleford and the critically acclaimed War Horse. Television credits include five years on ITV drama Sharpe, for which he also provided music.