The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. The annual awards in 21 categories were presented during four concerts showcasing many of the talented nominees. More than 100 jurors — located across Canada and representing all of its official provinces, territories and languages — determined the recipients in each category.

A complete list of winners in the 2026 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while recorded livestreams of the concerts and awards presentations may be found, along with more information, online at www.folkawards.ca.

Stan Rogers Traditional Singer Award: Matthew Byrne – Stealing Time

Contemporary Singer of the Year: Julian Taylor – Pathways

Vocal Group of the Year: PIQSIQ – Legends

New Artist of the Year: Claire Morrison – Where Do You Go at Night?

French Songwriter of the Year: Guillaume Arsenault – Les plantes continuent de pousser même quand tu dors – Face B

English Songwriter of the Year: Terra Spencer – Sunset

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year: Rachel Therrien – Mi Hogar II

Solo Artist of the Year: Lennie Gallant – Shelter From the Storms

Indigenous Songwriter of the Year:  TIE — Aysanabee – Edge Of The Earth and Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Ayalik (PIQSIQ) – Legends

Album Artwork of the Year: Ru Rose – Revival

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award: Oktoecho – Saimaniq Sivumut

Single of the Year: AHI – Human Kind

Contemporary Album of the Year: AHI – The Light Behind The Sun

Instrumental Composer of the Year: Eric Abramovitz, Rebekah Wolkstein and Drew Jurecka – Schmaltz and Pepper

Producer of the Year: Ben Plotnick for “Every Colour Left” by Loud in the Pines

Instrumental Group of the Year: The Fretless – Glasswing

Ensemble of the Year: Cassie and Maggie – Gold and Coal

Traditional Album of the Year: Matthew Byrne – Stealing Time

Global Roots Album of the Year: Kazdoura – Ghoyoum 

Children’s Album of the Year: Ginalina – All the Earth Speaks

Young Performer of the Year: Max Francis – Home

Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles of The LYNNeS picked up two awards (English Songwriters of the Year and Ensemble of the Year for their debut album Heartbreak Song for the Radio), as did Pharis & Jason Romero (Pharis for Traditional Singer of the Year and he duo as Vocal Group of the Year for their album, Sweet Old Religion). A number of other artists received awards as well.

Here’s a link to the official video for The LYNNeS’ song “Recipe for Disaster,” a single off their debut album, Sweet Old Religion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc53Ee4AezE

Here’s a link to a video of Pharis & Jason Romero performing “Sweet Old Religion” at the 2017 NimbleFingers Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Workshop and Festival in Sorrento, BC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfKa20I4DF4

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms.

Here’s a list of the award winners. More information may be found online at www.folkawards.ca.

Traditional Album of the Year:
Matthew Byrne – Horizon Lines

Contemporary Album of the Year:
Donovan Woods – Both Ways

Children’s Album of the Year:
Edgar, LeBlanc, Cool, Farmeur, Vishten, Savoie, Butler – Grand tintamarre! – Chansons et comptines acadiennes

Traditional Singer of the Year:
Pharis Romero (of Pharis & Jason Romero) – Sweet Old Religion

Contemporary Singer of the Year:
Rob Lutes – Walk in the Dark

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year:
Jean-Francois Belanger – Les enrailles de la montagne

Instrumental Group of the Year:
The Fretless – Live from the Art Farm

English Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles (of the LYNNeS) – Heartbreak Song For The Radio

French Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Anike Berube, Natalie Byrns (of Ancolie) – Le soleil en bulle (CHECK ON THIS)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Shanit – Apu peikussiak

Vocal Group of the Year:
Pharis & Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion

Ensemble of the Year:
The LYNNeS – Heartbreak Song For the Radio

Solo Artist of the Year:
Bruce Cockburn – Bone On Bone

World Solo Artist of the Year:
Elaiana Cnevas – Golpes & Flores

World Group of the Year:
Autorickshaw – Meter

New/Emerging Artist of the Year:
Raine Hamilton – Night Sky

Producer(s) of the Year:
Steve Dawson – Same As I Ever Have Been ((Matt Patershuk)

Young Performer of the Year:
Nick Earle, Joseph Coffin (of Earle and Coffin) – A Day in July

The Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award celebrating innovation in creating new folk sounds went to Beatrice Deer for My All To You, while the Slaight Music Unsung Hero Award was presented to Terry Wickham, now in his 28th year as artistic director of the Edmonton Folk Festival, in recognition of his tireless, multi-decade support and hard work on behalf of folk music and Canadian culture.

Buffy Sainte-Marie, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and social activist, received the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award during the 2017 JUNO Awards ceremonies. Sainte Marie, whose musical career spans more than 50 years, and whose songs have also been covered by hundreds of other artists, is known for her thought-provoking lyrics and her passionate advocacy for indigenous people. Also an educator and philanthropist, Sainte-Marie has sought to protect indigenous intellectual property and championed indigenous artists and performers.

The LYNNeS feature two award-winning songwriters and multi-instrumentalists who have been earning accolades and wining over audiences as a duo with their gritty lyrics and tight vocal harmonies. Lynn Miles has 14 albums to her credit and has won several Juno Awards as well as Canadian Folk Music Awards. Red Molly and Claire Lynch have recorded her song “Black Flowers.” Lynne Hanson has been playing her brand of “porch music with a little red dirt” for a decade, has released six albums, and was previously nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award as a solo artist.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. A complete list of 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at www.folkawards.ca.

Traditional Album of the Year:
Matthew Byrne – Horizon Lines
The Fretless – Live from the Art Farm
Genticorum – Avant l’orage
Babineau/Charrand – Gigues a 2 faces
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs

Contemporary Album of the Year:
Gabrielle Papillon – Keep the Fire
Gunning & Cormier – Two
The LYNNeS – Heartbreak song For the Radio
The Wailin’ Jennys – Fifteen
Donovan Woods – Both Ways

Children’s Album of the Year:
Splash ‘N Boots – Love, Kisses, and Hugs
Jeremy Fisher Junior – Highway To Spell
Edgar, LeBlanc, Cool, Farmeur, Vishten, Savoie, Butler – Grand tintamarre! – Chansons et comptines acadiennes
The Oot n’ Oots – Electric Jellyfish Boogaloo
The Swinging Belles – The Superstar Sibling Detective Agency

Traditional Singer of the Year:
Matthew Byrne – Horizon Lines
Pharis Romero (of Pharis & Jason Romero) – Sweet Old Religion
Lenka Lichtenberg – Masaryk: Narodni pisne
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs
Diana Erb (of Twas Now) – Old Fashioned Way

Contemporary Singer of the Year:
Dana Wylie – The Earth That You’re Made Of
Rob Lutes – Walk in the Dark
Kellie Loder – Benefit of the Doubt
Catherine MacLellan – If It’s Alright With You: The Songs of Gene MacLellan
Dylan Menzie – As The Clock Rewinds

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year:
Jean-Francois Belanger – Les enrailles de la montagne
Holly Blazina – Transcendencia
Justin Gray (of Justin Gray & Synthesis) – New Horizons
Dan MacDonald – Rural/Urban
Andrea Bettger – Snappy Day

Instrumental Group of the Year:
West of Mabou – The Bridge
Andrew Collins Trio – Groove
The Fretless – Live from the Art Farm
So Long Seven – Kala Kalo
Miller/MacDonald/Cormier – South Haven

English Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Noosa Al-Sarraj (of Winona Wilde) – Wasted Time
Bruce Cockburn – Bone On Bone
Lynne Hanson, Lynn Miles (of the LYNNeS) – Heartbreak Song For The Radio
Dana Sipos – Trick Of The Light
Donovan Woods – Both Ways

French Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Danny Boudreau – Mon ete
Kristine St-Pierre – La promesse
Anike Berube, Natalie Byrns (of Ancolie) – Le soleil en bulle
Benoit Pinette (of Tire le Coyote) – Desherbage
Etienne Fletcher – Face A

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Tiffany Ayalik, Greyson Gritt (of Quantum Tangle) – Shelter as we go…
Sandra Sutter – Cluster Stars
Dennis Shorty – Gucho Hin
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs
Shanit – Apu peikussiak

Vocal Group of the Year:
Good Lovelies – Shapeshifters
Gunning & Cormier – Two
Pharis & Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion
The LYNNeS – Heartbreak Song For the Radio
The Fugitives – The Promise Of Strangers

Ensemble of the Year:
The Fretless – Live from the Art Farm
Genticorum – Avat l’orage
Pharis & Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion
The LYNNeS – Heartbreak Song For the Radio
The East Pointers – What We Leave Behind

Solo Artist of the Year:
David Francey – The Broken Heart Of Everything
Jolene Higgins (of Little Miss Higgins) – My Home, My Heart
Bruce Cockburn – Bone On Bone
Catherine MacLellan – If It’s Alright With You: The Songs of Gene MacLellan
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs

World Solo Artist of the Year:
Jean-Francois Belanger – Les entrailles de la montagne
Elaiana Cnevas – Golpes & Flores
Lenka Lichtenberg – Masaryk: Narodni pisne
Daniel Bellegarde (of Bellegarde) – Anba Tonel
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs

World Group of the Year:
Autorickshaw – Meter
Near East – Near East
Oktopus – Hapax
Lemon Bucket Orkestra – If I Had The Strength
Minor Empire – Uprooted

New/Emerging Artist of the Year:
Annie Sumi – In the Unknown
The Lifers – Honey Suite
Raine Hamilton – Night Sky
Jack Pine and The Fire – Left To Our Own Devices
Mattie Leon – Signal Hill
Aerialists – Group manoeuvre

Producer(s) of the Year:
Lynne Hanson, Lynn Miles – Heartbreak Song for the Radio (The LYNNeS)
Chris McKhool and John ‘Beetle” Bailey – Christmas Caravan (Sultans of String)
Ozan Boz – Uprooted (Minor Empire)
Steve Dawson – Same As I Ever Have Been ((Matt Patershuk)
Suzie Vinnick/Mark Lalama – Shake The Love Around (Suzie Vinnick)

Pushing The Boundaries:
Jean-Francois Belanger – Les enrailles de la montagne
Quantum Tangle – Shelter as we go…
Cindy Doire – Panorama
La Suite – Inventions pour deux violoneux
Beatrice Deer – My All To You

Young Performer of the Year:
Nick Earle, Joseph Coffin (of Earle and Coffin) – A Day in July
Christine Howse – We Were
Markey Mullan – Fiddle Dance
Ben Heffernan – Home
Jessica Wedden – One More Time

Among the notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Balsam Range, Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, David Bromberg Quintet, Joe Crookston, Jeff Daniels, Mary Gauthier, John Gorka, Patty Griffin, Eileen Ivers, Christine Lavin, Martha Redbone, Tom Paxton and The DonJuans, Riders in the Sky, The Seldom Scene, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Alexis P. Suter Ministers of Sound, Tempest, Trout Fishing in America, and Molly Tuttle.

A number of talented Canadian artists are also on the bill — including Melanie Brulee, Matthew Byrne, Elage Diouf, Earle and Coffin, Jay Gilday, Terence Jack, David Myles, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Dana Sipos, and The Small Glories. From the UK are Scottish folk-roots rockers Skerryvore (my favorite new musical discovery during the 2018 Folk Alliance International Conference) and Gloucestershire duo The Black Feathers. Limerick, Ireland’s Hermitage Green makes its Philadelphia Folk Festival debut, as do Australian singer-songwriter Tom West and Tuvan throat singers Alash.

Also of note are Michigan-based band The Accidentals (named among Yahoo Music’s 10 Bands to Watch” in 2017), Washington, DC area-based singer-songwriter Crys Matthews (grand prize winner of the 2018 NewSong Music Competition and winner of the People’s Music Network’s Social Justice Songs Contest at the 2017 Northeast Regional; Folk Alliance Conference), Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Matt The Electrician, and rollicking, high-energy folk-rockers Scott Wolfson and Other Heroes.

Among the up-and-coming local touring artists who will showcase their talents during the festival are April Mae & the June Bugs, Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary & Analog Gypsies, Orion Freeman, Marion Halliday & Trickster Sister, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, and Brittany Tranbaugh. A Friday morning album release celebration for Kicking Down Doors and Tin Bird Choir will take place on the Camp Stage.

As the names above suggest, the Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. National and international touring artists of note as well as emerging ones are on the bill.

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase the talents of three up-and-coming young artists/acts –the previously mentioned Benjamin Dakota Rogers and Earle and Coffin, as well as Lula Wiles, a female Americana trio recently singed to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings– during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning.

In addition to musical performances and workshops on eight stages – including an accordion workshop, contra dancing with Groovemama, a Martin Guitar Jam, and a late Sunday afternoon Klezmer dance party — there will be an array of children’s activities in the shady Dulcimer Grove – including craft-making and performances by The Give & Take Jugglers and a number of children- and family-oriented artists. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their creations in an open-air juried crafts area.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents — is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours. David Dye, host of the syndicated World Café radio program, will host a special Thursday night concert on the Camp Stage — featuring multi-ethnic Latin pop songstress Gina Chavez, contemporary blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Toranzo Cannon, and Scots folk band Talisk — exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

Both day and full-festival passes are available for purchase. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult, while discounted tickets are available for youth, ages 12-17

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival and to order tickets, visit www.pfs.org/philadelphia-folk-festival/.

Editor’s Note: As president of the NERFA board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday morning, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m.

A platform for luminaries and rising stars, the annual conference is the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community. Folk Alliance International’s Official Showcases are jury-selected nightly mini-concerts featuring emerging artists and touring legends from around the world. The performances are 30 minutes in length and are held concurrently on ten full-production stages throughout the host hotel over three nights.

More than 800 artists/acts applied for the opportunity to perform for hundreds of festival and venue bookers, agents, managers, labels, media, and music industry representatives. The curated showcases feature artists representing a diverse array of folk genres including Appalachian, Americana, bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, global roots, Indie-folk, indigenous, Latin, old time, traditional, singer-songwriter, spoken word, and every imaginable fusion.

Breakthrough artists from previous conferences include The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Darlingside, David Francey, John Fullbright, Kaia Kater, Lake Street Dive, The Milk Carton Kids, Nickel Creek, The Stray Birds, Valerie June, The Waifs, and The Wailin’ Jennys. Past showcase performances have also included guest appearances by Judy Collins, Béla Fleck, Rita Coolidge, Ron Sexsmith, Archie Fisher, Peggy Seeger, and more.

Bringing together musicians, educators, and music industry professionals from around the world, the Folk Alliance International Conference is known for its community atmosphere, business and networking opportunities, and as a hotspot for discovering new talent.

The 2018 conference will feature presentations by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Richard Thompson, the Louis Jay Meyers Music Camp, the International Folk Music Awards, and the third annual Kansas City Folk Festival. Celebrating 30 years of community and song, the conference will YEARS OF COMMUNITY AND SONG, honor the first three decades of the organization’s growth and activity, as well as the broader story of folk music during that time.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) is a Kansas City, MO-based nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a news release issued by Folk Alliance International, on whose board of directors I serve. I’m also board president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), one of its five regional affiliates, which holds it annual conference, Nov. 9-12, in Stamford, CT. I am not involved in the selection of Official Showcase artists.

Attracting more than 2,500 people, the Folk Alliance International Conference is ranked among the five largest music conferences in North America. It will feature a four-track series of professional development sessions (workshops and panel discussions) for artists, presenters, industry and community; a keynote address by legendary artist Judy Collins; regional and peer group meetings; mentoring sessions; a large exhibit hall; daily receptions; and plenty of opportunities for networking and jamming. Four nights of artist performances are slated — including nearly 200-juried official showcases and some 2,000 private in-room showcases that extend late into the night and early morning hours (with some also taking place during the afternoon).

While acknowledging “we certainly feature legends and luminaries,” Aengus Finnan, FAI’s executive director, notes that “the most exciting part of Folk Alliance are the showcases by artists you’ve never heard of but will never forget.” Although performers from the U.S. and Canada predominate, artists from some 20 countries will showcase their talents.

The conference takes place in the Westin Crown Center, while FAI’s Winter Music Camp (featuring nearly 100 master classes and group sessions for students of all ages with instruction geared towards all styles and levels of roots music and songwriting) will run concurrently at the adjoining Sheraton Crown Center. The hotels are linked by an enclosed above-ground walkway and connected to Hallmark’s boutique shopping mall.

Expanded Awards Gala Slated for Feb. 17

The Spirit of Folk Awards are presented to honor and celebrate people and organizations actively involved in the promotion and preservation of folk music through their creative work, community building, and demonstrated leadership. This year’s six recipients are House of Songs founder Troy Campbell; 99-year-old Arkansas fiddler Violet Hensley; Sam Lee, an English traditional song collector and interpreter; Dave Siglin, who served as program director of The Ark in Ann Arbor, MI for 40 years; Phyllis Stenson, founding executive and artistic director of the Harrison Festival in Canada;and Tony Turner, a political songwriter and former Canadian civil servant whose song “Harperman” gained global attention last year.

Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards, named for one of FAI’s founders and determined by a select international panel, are presented annually to a living recipient, a memorial recipient and an active organization. This year’s honorees are Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (living), Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (legacy) and The English Folk Dance and Song Society (business/academic).

FAI also is introducing three new International Folk Music Awards for album, song and artist of the year. The winners, to be named Feb. 17, were selected by FAI members from a shortlist of finalists based in part on Folk DJ airplay during 2015, in addition to industry input on par with other FAI award processes.

The Nominees are (in alphabetical order): Album of the Year – With the Dawn by Bella Hardy, Joe Hill’s Last Will by John McCutcheon, Tomorrow Is My Turn by Rhiannon Giddens, Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project by Jayme Stone, and The Social Music Hour Vol. 1 by Spuyten Duyvil; Song of the Year – “Get Up” by Caitlin Canty, “Boston Town” by Della Mae, “A Wanderer I’ll Stay” by Pharis & Jason Romero, “Best Medicine” by The Stray Birds, and “River Winding Down” by The Sweet Lowdown; and Artist of the Year – Chuck Brodsky, Darlingside, Fortunate Ones, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, and We Banjo 3.

Kansas City Folk Festival, Feb. 21, is Open to the Public

A reformatted daylong music fair, being promoted locally as an indoor folk festival (Kansas City Folk Fest), takes place on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is open to conference registrants, as well as to the public – with tickets priced at $30 for adults. Discounts are available for seniors, students and youth, while young children will be admitted free.

Friends will join Ken Whiteley, an acclaimed Canadian blues and roots artist, as he leads a morning gospel session. Main Stage performers — reflective of the broad range of folk music today — include legendary folksinger Eric Andersen (“Thirsty Boots”), Grammy Award winning banjoist Allison Brown, noted singer-songwriter Peter Case, Australian folk-pop band The Soorleys, and a closing concert by conjunto Tejano band Los Texmaniacs. Artists invited to showcase their talents by each of FAI’s five regional affiliates are Johnsmith (FARM), Moors & McCumber (SWRFA), Underhill Rose (SERFA), Beth Wood (FAR-West) and The Young Novelists (NERFA). Among the Kansas City artists who will grace the festival’s three stages are Ayllu, Ensemble Iberica, Sara Morgan, and Under The Big Oak Tree. Other artists scheduled to perform – culled from those participating in the conference – Matthew Byrne, Robby Fulks, The Jellyman’s Daughter, Jerron ‘Blind Boy’ Paxton, Lisa Sander and Brown Sugar, and Sara Jane Scouten. Also slated are a square dance to be called by Kristen Andreassen, a folksong sing-along, and an artisans’ marketplace.

This is the third successive year that Folk Alliance International is hosting its annual conference in Kansas City, where the nonprofit organization is also headquartered. Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

Editors Note: A board member of both Folk Alliance International and its northeast regional affiliate (NERFA), I’ll be moderating a panel discussion on “The Original Folk Revival” and providing some one-on-one mentoring on strategic communications and public relations, artist bios and one-sheets, social media and website content, and other topics during the conference.

The always entertaining, genial and witty Quebecois folk artist Benoit Bourque and noted singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor hosted the gala event that also featured performances by Melisande, Pharis and Jason Romero, Jeffery Straker, Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, Trent Severn and John Wort Hannam. The event marked the culmination of an awards weekend that began on Nov. 6 and included showcases by nominees

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music — celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, this year’s nominees were announced Sept. 9 during a first-ever National Strum at Edmonton City Hall. The city’s folk community gathered together there to perform East Coast singer-songwriter Dave Gunning’s “These Hands,” a song of celebration and of recognition that everyone can be a hero of the human kind. A video featuring Gunning and a number of other artists singing verses of the song was screened during the awards gala.

Catherine MacLellan, a Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI)-based singer-songwriter, was named Solo Artist of the Year, while her latest release, The Raven’s Sun was recognized as the Contemporary Album of the Year. Amelia Curran of St. John’s, Newfoundland, bested MacLellan and three other nominees for Contemporary Singer of the Year and also was named English Songwriter of the Year in recognition of her album, They Promised You Mercy.

Quebec’s Louis-Jean Cormier was named French Songwriter of the Year for Les grandes arteres, while Raven Kanatakta and Shoshone Kish from Long Point First Nation in Winneway, Quebec, were honored with The Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year award for Digging Roots’ album, For The Light. “Our families and our communities have been at the core of making this politically charged music for maybe 10 years now,” said Kish in accepting the award. “I’m hoping that this is a moment of change for this country and, hopefully, the future looks bright.”

St John’s, Newfoundland’s Fortunate Ones were, indeed, fortunate to earn Vocal Group of the Year honors for The Bliss in a category that also featured such gifted artists as Good Lovelies, Pharis & Jason Romero and The Young Novelists.

Nova Scotia-based husband-and-wife fiddle and step-dancing duo Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy were named Instrumental Group of the Year for One, while Ontario’s Adrianna Ciccone received Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year honors for The Back of Winter. Lemon Bucket Orchestra (Moorka) was named World Group of the Year, while Kirasn Ahluwalia (Sanata: Stillness) was honored as World Solo Artist of the Year. Rebecca Lappa of Edmonton was named Young Performer of the Year for Tattered Rose. Newfoundland’s The Swinging Belles received the Children’s Album of the Year award for More Sheep, Less Sleep. PEI’s Daniel Ledwell was named Producer of the Year for Compostela, an album by his wife, Jenn Grant. Acclaimed Ontario-based guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Breit received the Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award.

One of the evening’s most touching moments was the presentation of the somewhat ironically named Unsung Hero Award, recognizing exceptional contributions to the promotion, preservation and presentation of Canadian folk, roots and world music, to Arthur McGregor by his daughter Hannah. One of the founders of the Canadian Folk Music Awards, McGregor resigned from the CFMA board last year and also established the Ottawa Folklore Centre, a much-loved music store and school that closed recently after 38 years in operation. Calling the awards a catalyst in helping to bring his life back into balance, McGregor invited everyone to join him in singing “Circle of Song,” a celebratory number by Tony Turner, a former Canadian civil servant who drew national and international attention earlier this year when he was suspended from his job for writing and performing “Harperman.” That song was sung by many during rallies against Canada’s former longtime Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose government was ousted in the recent Canadian national elections.

More information on the awards may be found at www.folkawards.ca.

This year’s nominees were announced Sept. 9 during a first-ever National Strum at Edmonton City Hall. The city’s folk community gathered together there to perform East Coast singer-songwriter Dave Gunning’s “These Hands,” a song of celebration and of recognition that everyone can be a hero of the human kind.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established 12 years ago to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. Outstanding achievements will be recognized in 19 categories, while Unsung Hero and Folk Music Canada’s Innovator Award recipients will also be honored. 73 artists and groups from nine provinces and three territories in Canada received nominations.

Musicians Benoit Bourque and Connie Kaldor host the bilingual gala awards presentation that marks the culmination of a CFMA weekend that begins on Nov. 6 and will feature two nights of showcase events prior to the Nov. 8 gala. Tickets for the gala show are $48, while the showcase events are $25 each evening. Links to purchase tickets, along with more information on the awards and showcases, may be found online at www.folkawards.ca.

A complete list of 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows.

Young Performer of the Year:

Robbie Bankes – Through February Snow
Coastline – Coastline
Rebecca Lappa – Tattered Rose
Mira Meikle – MIRA
Benjamin Dakota Rogers – Strong Man’s Address to the Circus Crowd

New/Emerging Artist of the Year:

Crooked Brothers – Thank You I’m Sorry
Fortunate Ones – The Bliss
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer – A Real Fine Mess
The River and the Road – Headlights
The Young Novelists – made us strangers

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award:

Kevin Breit – Ernesto and Delilah
The Jerry Cans- Aakuluk
The Shoeless – The Shoeless
Dana Sipos – Roll Up the Night Sky
Whitehorse – Leave No Bridge Unburned

English Songwriter of the Year:

Catherine Allan and Andrew James O’Brien – The Bliss (Fortunate Ones)
Jon Brooks – The Smiling and Beautiful Countryside (Jon Brooks)
Amelia Curran – They Promised You Mercy (Amelia Curran)
Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland – Leave No Bridge Unburned (Whitehorse)
Jenn Grant – Compostela (Jenn Grant)

French Songwriter of the Year:

Jocelyne Baribeau – Entre toi et moi (Jocelyne Baribeau)
Louis-Jean Cormier – Les grandes artères (Louis-Jean Cormier)
Benoit Pinette – Panorama (Tire le Coyote)
Dany Placard – Santa Maria (Dany Placard)
Geneviève Toupin – Willows (Willows)

The Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year:

Miranda Currie – Up in the Air (Miranda Currie)
The Jerry Cans – Aakuluk (The Jerry Cans)
Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish – For the Light (Digging Roots)
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Power in the Blood (Buffy Sainte-Marie)
Laura Vinson and Free Spirit – Warrior (Laura Vinson and Free Spirit)

World Group of the Year:

Ayrad – Ayrad
Alex Cuba – Healer
Lemon Bucket Orkestra – Moorka
Monsoon – Mandala
Ventanas- Arrelumbre

World Solo Artist of the Year:

Kiran Ahluwalia – Sanata: Stillness
Jean-François Bélanger – Les vents orfèvres
Elage – Diame
Emmanuel Jal – The Key
Wagner Petrilli – Confissão

Traditional Album of the Year:

Matthew Byrne – Hearts & Heroes
Le Vent du Nord – Têtu
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy – ONE
Pharis & Jason Romero – A Wanderer I’ll Stay
Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project

Traditional Singer of the Year:

Michael Jerome Browne – Sliding Delta
Matthew Byrne – Hearts & Heroes
Tamar Ilana – Arrelumbre by Ventanas
Annie Lou – Tried and True
Pharis Romero – A Wanderer I’ll Stay (Pharis and Jason Romero)

Contemporary Album of the Year:

Jon Brooks – The Smiling and Beautiful Countryside
Jenn Grant – Compostela
Catherine MacLellan – The Raven’s Sun
The Once – Departures
Gabrielle Papillon – The Tempest of Old

Contemporary Singer of the Year:

Amelia Curran – They Promised You Mercy
Peter Katz – We Are the Reckoning
Sarah MacDougall – Grand Canyon
Catherine MacLellan – The Raven’s Sun
Jory Nash – The Many Hats of Jory Nash

Instrumental Group of the Year:

Coastline – Coastline
Shane Cook and Jake Charron – Head to Head
Lemon Bucket Orkestra – Moorka
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy – ONE
Monsoon – Mandala

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year:

Jean-François Bélanger – Les vents orfèvres
Adrianna Ciccone – The Back of Winter
Nick Hornbuckle – 12×2(+/-1)
Patti Kusturok – Milestone
Wendy MacIsaac – Off the Floor

Vocal Group of the Year:

Fortunate Ones – The Bliss
Good Lovelies – Burn The Plan
The Lucky Sisters – So Lucky
Pharis & Jason Romero – A Wanderer I’ll Stay
The Young Novelists – made us strangers

Ensemble of the Year:

Big Little Lions – A Little Frayed, a Little Torn
The Once – Departures
Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project
The Sweet Lowdown – Chasing the Sun
Whitehorse – Leave No Bridge Unburned

Solo Artist of the Year:

Michael Jerome Browne – Sliding Delta
Amelia Curran – They Promised You Mercy
Lizzy Hoyt – New Lady on the Prairie
Catherine MacLellan – The Raven’s Sun
Oh Susanna – Namedropper

Children’s Album of the Year:

Ginalina – Forest Friends’ Nature Club Album
Henri Godon – La vie rêvée!
Hilary Grist – Tomorrow is a Chance to Start Over
Stella Swanson – I’m Not a Bunny
The Swinging Belles – More Sheep, Less Sleep

Producer of the Year:

Daniel Ledwell – Compostela (Jenn Grant)
Jory Nash, Chris Stringer – The Many Hats of Jory Nash (Jory Nash)
Les Cooper – Burn The Plan (Good Lovelies)
Murray Pulver, Dave Zeglinski, Steve Bell – Pilgrimage (Steve Bell)
Pharis & Jason Romero, David Travers-Smith – A Wanderer I’ll Stay (Pharis & Jason Romero)