During the JUNO Awards Broadcast that aired live nationwide on CBC and CBC Gem and was viewed globally on CBC Music’s YouTube channel,  Joni Mitchell received thunderous applause as she took to the stage at the TD Coliseum to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. In introducing her, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “Joni’s music didn’t just provide the soundtrack to our lives he shifted culture, inspired generations and redefined what songwriting could be.”

Gracing the stage, Mitchell, 82, said that she was “so happy to be in Canada [with] our wonderful prime minister.” Noting that she now lives in the United States, she continued “and you know what’s happening there. This man is a blessing. You guys are so fortunate.”

Following her brief remarks, the widely acclaimed Canadian-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist joined Sarah McLachlan, Allison Russell and other artists in a musical tribute to her body of work, which includes such notable songs as “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Both Sides, Now,” “Chelsea Morning,” “Help Me,” and “River.”

Mariel Buckley, whose October 2025 release Strange Trip Ahead (Birthday Cake Records) was named Contemporary Folk Album of the Year, is a Calgary, Alberta-based singer-songwriter. She is the younger sister of singer T. Buckley, with whom she has also recorded and performed together as a duo. Strange Trip Ahead was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with her Edmonton-based band and produced by Jarrad K at Chateau Noir Studios. Her third full-length album, it was preceded by the critically acclaimed Everywhere I Used To Be (2022) and Driving In The Dark (2018). Although Buckley’s music may be genre defying, her songwriting reflects an intimate folk style. She tours Europe for several weeks this spring.

Morgan Toney, 27, whose Heal The Divide, was named Traditional Folk Album of the Year, is a Mi’kmaq folk singer-songwriter and fiddler from Nova Scotia. A member of he Wagmatcook First Nation, Toney performs and records music blends Celtic folk (reflective of Cape Breton) and the traditional, old songs of his people – a fusion that he calls Mikmatic) and describes as his way of celebrating his language and heritage. Heal The Divide is Toney’s third album. Preceding it were 2023’s Resilience, which was nominated for a Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year in 2024, and 2021’s First Flight, which was reissued in 2022 on Ishkode Records.

Also nominated for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year were The Hammer & The Rose (Matt Andersen), Purple Gas (Noeline Hofmann), These Dark Canyons (The Young Novelists), and Further From The Country (William Prince). The other Traditional Roots Music Album of the Year nominees included I Lost My Heart on Friday (Aerialists), Gold And Coal (Cassie and Maggie), The Moon’s Daughter (Heather MacIsaac), and Folk Signals (The Southern Residents).

Also of potential interest to AcousticMusicScene.com readers, Steven Marriner’s Hear My Heart was named Blues Album of the Year, while Sarah McLachlan’s Better Broken was named Adult Contemporary Album of the Year. Canadian pop star Tate McRae was the big winner, receiving awards in four of the six categories in which she was nominated: album of the year, artist of the year, single of the year, and pop album of the year.

For more information on Canada’s top music awards, including a complete listing of winners and the 248 nominees across 47 categories, visit https://junoawards.ca.

A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Joni Mitchell (pictured), the widely acclaimed Canadian-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is known for such songs as “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Both Sides, Now,” “Chelsea Morning,” “Help Me,” and “River.”

In the running for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year are Strange Trip Ahead (Mariel Buckley), The Hammer & The Rose (Matt Andersen), Purple Gas (Noeline Hofmann) These Dark Canyons (The Young Novelists), and Further From The Country (William Prince). Traditional Roots Music Album of the Year nominees include I Lost My Heart on Friday (Aerialists), Gold And Coal (Cassie and Maggie), The Moon’s Daughter (Heather MacIsaac), Heal The Divide (Morgan Toney), and Folk Signals (The Southern Residents).

Also of potential interest to AcousticMusicScene.com readers are the nominees for Blues Album of the Year. These include Sing Pretty Blues (Crystal Shawanda), Ooh Yeah! (Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne), The Medicine (Miss Emily), Answer The Call (Secondhand Dreamcar), and Hear My Heart (Steve Mariner).

In addition to her Contemporary Album of the Year nomination for Purple Gas, Noeline Hofmann is among the 10 nominees for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. . Among the five nominees for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year are Conditions of Love Vol. 1 (Rose Cousins) and Better Broken (Sarah McLachlan, while Children’s Album of the Year nominees include Little Leaf (Chris McKhool).

In total, there are 248 nominees in the running across 47 categories for Canada’s top music awards. Eight-time JUNO Award-winner Justin Bieber and Tate McRae lead the pack with six nominations each.

Headliners include David Crosby & Friends, Margo, Price, The Mavericks, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Joan Osborne Sings Bob Dylan, and Amanda Shires. Crosby, who closes out the festival on Sunday night, Aug. 18, is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, co-founder of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the subject of a just-released documentary entitled “David Crosby: Remember My Name.” Price is a Nashville-based country singer-songwriter. Combining Tex-Mex, neo-traditional country music, Latin, and rockabilly, The Mavericks is an eclectic American band currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been bringing the sounds of New Orleans to concert halls and festivals the world over for more than 50 years. A gifted singer-songwriter in her own right, Osborne also interprets the songs of others. Shires is a fiddle-playing singer-songwriter.

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Blair Bodine, Michael Braunfeld and The Boneyard Hounds, Caitlin Canty, Emerald Rae, The End of America, Dom Flemons, Front Country, Jeffrey Foucault, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons, The Kruger Brothers, Christine Lavin, Langhorne Slim and The Lost at Last Band, Christine Lavin, The Lee Boys, Kathy Mattea, Peter Mulvey, Oshima Brothers, Steve Poltz, Son of Town Hall, Way Down Wanderers, and Yola.

Here’s a link to view the official video for The Young’uns song, “Be The Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZFrVMV0tI

Also of note are Texas-based singer-songwriter Matt The Electrician, cowboy poet and songster Andy Hedges, and Quarter Horse, a Long Island-based group that impressed folks at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival earlier this month after being voted by the audience as the “Most Wanted to Return” artists following its Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase last year.

• Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt • Amy Dee • Bethlehem and Sad Patrick• Bobtown • Bruce Sudano • Charlie Frey’s Blue Plate Specials • Driftwood Soldier• Emily Drinker • Haint Blue • Homestead Collective • j solomon • Jackson Howard• Jackson Pines • Joshua Fialkoff • Julia Levitina • Last Chance • Letitia VanSant• Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers • Marion Halliday with Trickster Sister

• Matthew Gordon & Silvershade Society • Meghan Cary with Analog Gypsies• Michael Spear Duo • Nick and Luke • Originaire • Rachel Andie & the Fifth Element• River Drivers • Sharon Katz & the Peace Train • Stella Ruze • The Carryons• The Cornerstones • The Jayplayers • The John Byrne Band

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. Regional, national and international touring artists of note, as well as emerging ones, are on the bill.

Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist featuring artists who are slated to perform during the festival:
https://open.spotify.com/user/philadelphiafolksongsociety/playlist/19kKx9m8SDny6qZNM589XI?

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase two talented young artists – Nina de Vitry and j solomon — during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning.

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 exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

As usual, a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase, while festivalgoers also will have an opportunity to sample wines from City Winery Philadelphia, prior to its grand opening this fall.

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. or call the office at 800-566-FOLK.

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. Kudos to Lisa Schwartz, the festival and programming director, on curating what promises to be another fabulous festival.