Good Lovelies, Lucy MacNeil and The Andrew Collins Trio snagged three nominations each, while Derina Harvey, Rum Ragged, Ndidi O, Celidh Cardinal, Burnstick, Rachel Davis & Darren McMullen, Mélisande, and Miles Surawell each received two nominations. They are among 107 nominees from throughout Canada vying for awards in 20 categories to be presented during the CFMA 2025 Awards Weekend, April 3-6, in Ottawa, Ontario – the nation’s capital and where the awards were launched 20 years ago.

Lindsey also cited what he called the important work that CFMA is doing in forging connections between artists. “I spoke with one person who didn’t feel part of a community in the music world, and after the CFMA event earlier this year, they had found their folk family and were energized to keep making great music,” he said.

A complete list of the 2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at folkawards.ca.

Children’s Album of the Year

• Abigail Lapell – Lullabies
• Bon Débarras – J’m’en viens chez vous!
• Henri Godon – Chants de vacances
• Seeka Sings – I Belong
• Will and Seeka – Will and Seeka: Friends with Everyone

Contemporary Album of the Year

• Abigail Lapell – Anniversary
• Boy Golden – For Jimmy
• Juurini – Aqqutinni
• Kaia Kater – Strange Medicine
• Lynne Hanson – Just A Poet
• Sandra Bouza – A Sound in the Dark

Contemporary Singer of the Year

• Camille Intson (Camie) – POEMS IN THE ASHES
• Derina Harvey (Derina Harvey Band) – Waves of Home
• Jeffery Straker (Jeffery Straker) – Great Big Sky
• Ndidi O (Ndidi O) – Simple Songs for Complicated Times
• Esther Wheaton (Onion Honey) – Foul Weather Friends

English Songwriter(s) of the Year

• Celeigh Cardinal, Brennan Cameron (Celeigh Cardinal) – Boundless Possibilities
• Kellie Loder (Kellie Loder) – Transitions
• Ndidi O (Ndidi O) – Simple Songs for Complicated Times
• Ruth Moody (Ruth Moody) – Wanderer
• Shayna Hayes (Shaina Hayes) – Kindergarten Heart
• Adrian Glynn, Brendan McLeod (The Fugitives) – No Help Coming

Ensemble of the Year

• Good Lovelies – We Will Never Be The Same
• Rachel Davis & Darren McMullen – Home
• Rum Ragged – Gone Jiggin’
• Sultans of String – Walking Through the Fire
• The Fugitives – No Help Coming

French Songwriter(s) of the Year

• Alexandre Poulin (Alexandre Poulin) – La somme des êtres aimés
• Michel Robichaud (Michel Robichaud) – Rallumer l’effort
• Reney Ray (Reney Ray) – L’album Temporaire
• Sara Dufour, Dany Placard (Sara Dufour) – On va-tu prendre une marche?
• Lennie Gallant, Patricia Richard (Sirène et Matelot) – Un monde de dissonances

Global Roots Album of the Year

• Dumai Dunai – Sometime Between Now and Never
• Jason Wilson and Ashara – Ashara
• Lemon Bucket Orkestra – Cuckoo
• Merrie Klazek – Dance Around the Sun
• Okavango African Orchestra – Migration

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year

• Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers (Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers) – Marks on the Ground
• Jason Burnstick, Nadia Burnstick (Burnstick) – Made of Sin
• Celeigh Cardinal (Celeigh Cardinal) – Boundless Possibilities
• Gabrielle Fontaine (Indian City) – Tomorrow
• Mimi O’Bonsawin (Live in Concert) – Live in Concert

Instrumental Composer(s) of the Year

• Alanna Jenish (Alanna Jenish ) – Daleview
• Karson McKeown, Tom Gammons, Tuli Porcher (Inn Echo) – Hemispheres
• Andrew Collins (The Andrew Collins Trio) – The Rule of Three
• Andre Valerio (Tio Chorinho) – Tempestuoso
• Pastelle LeBlanc (Vishtèn) – Vishtèn Connexions Expansion

Instrumental Group of the Year

• Masmoudi Quartette – Villes Éternelles
• Pipeslinger – The King’s Clothing
• Solidaridad Tango – DISTANCIA
• The Andrew Collins Trio – The Rule of Three
• Tio Chorinho – Tempestuoso

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year

• Jason Fowler (Jason Fowler) – FORELSKET
• Jeremie Groleau (Jeremie Groleau) – Uphill
• Merrie Klazek (Merrie Klazek) – Dance Around the Sun
• Miles Zurawell (Miles Zurawell) – Far Afield
• Shaun Ferguson (Shaun Ferguson) – La Lumière De L’Ombre – L’Ombre De La Lumière

Single of the Year

• “What Would Love Do?” (Alternate Version) – Andrew Allen
• “Train Coming” (featuring Eric Gales) – Angelique Francis
• “Wildflower” – Asiah Holm
• “Same Old Me” – Geneviève Racette
• “Tell Me How” – Loryn Taggart
• “Meaning Well” – Mia Kelly

Solo Artist of the Year

• Abigail Lapell (Abigail Lapell) – Anniversary
• Connie Kaldor (Connie Kaldor) – Keep Going
• Loryn Taggart (Loryn Taggart) – The Lost Art of Pulling Through
• Mélisande (Mélisande) – Rembobine
• Orit Shimoni (Orit Shimoni) – Winnipeg
• Sue Foley (Sue Foley) – One Guitar Woman

Traditional Album of the Year

• Bradley Murphy – BEUL
• Brandon Isaak – One Step Closer
• David Francey – The Breath Between
• La Bottine Souriante – Domino !
• Lucy MacNeil – Angels Whisper
• Rum Ragged – Gone Jiggin’

Traditional Singer of the Year

• Abigail Lapell (Abigail Lapell) – Lullabies
• Fathieh Honari (Gordon Grdina’s The Marrow) – With Fatheih Honari
• Ken Whiteley (Ken Whiteley) – So Glad I’m Here
• Lucy MacNeil (Lucy MacNeil) – Angels Whisper
• Mélisande (Mélisande) – Rembobine

Vocal Group of the Year

• Good Lovelies – We Will Never Be The Same
• La Nef – RED SKY AT NIGHT
• Mikha.elles – Camino de mujeres
• Prairie Comeau – L’emprunt(e)
• summersets – small town story

Producer(s) of the Year

• Jason Burnstick, Nadia Burnstick (Burnstick) – Made of Sin
• Gal George Gjurin (Gal George Gjurin) – How about a kiss?
• Joshua Van Tassel and Christine Bougie (Good Lovelies) – We Will Never Be The Same
• David Boulanger (La Bottine Souriante) – Domino !
• (Marie Onile) – Les mots, l’élan et la chance

Young Performer(s) of the Year

• Amelia Parker – Forwards
• Irish Millie – GRACE
• Mary Frances Leahy – First Light
• Paige Penney – INFINITY
• The Salt Beef Junkies – Somewhere In Between

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries

• Irish Millie – GRACE
• James Hill – Uke Heads
• Jonathan Bélanger – Sur le Boulevard
• Kiran Ahluwalia – Comfort Food
• Nastasia Y – Kyiv Soul
• The Andrew Collins Trio – The Rule of Three

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year

• Derina Harvey Band – Waves of Home
• Lucy MacNeil – Angels Whisper
• Maggie’s Wake – Maggie’s Wake
• Miles Zurawell – Far Afield
• Rachel Davis & Darren McMullen – Home
• Solidaridad Tango – DISTANCIA

Alberta-based singer-songwriter John Wort Hannam picked up two awards (Contemporary Album of the Year and Solo Artist of the Year for his album Long Haul). So too did Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves (Traditional Album of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year for Hurricane Clarice) and Toronto-based, genre bending global roots music instrumental group Sultans of String (Global Roots Album of the Year for Sanctuary and Producers of the Year – Chris McKhool and John “Beetle” Bailey). A number of other artists received awards as well.

John Wort Hannan, who previously received a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Folk Album of the Year, is an acclaimed folk and roots artist who has also been a winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, a three-time grand-prize winner in the Calgary Folk Festival Songwriting Competition (2004, 2007, 2009), the Gold (top) winner in the Folk/Acoustic Category in the 34th Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest (2018), and a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award recipient. The troubadour, whose songs often focus on life in Western Canada and the human experience as seen through the eyes of working people has performed throughout North America and beyond – including during the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, UK. Long Haul is Wort Hannam’s eighth studio album.

Here’s a link to the official video for the title track of John Wort Hannam’s album, Long Haul:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj9cpSFdIJs.

Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves are a banjo and fiddle duo and are leading players in today’s young generation of roots musicians. Although they have been performing together for several years, de Groot is also known for her intricate clawhammer banjo work with Bruce Molsky, while Hargreaves has accompanied Laurie Lewis and David Rawlings with her powerhouse fiddling and teaches bluegrass fiddle at UNC-Chapel Hill. Hurricane Clarice is the duo’s second album. Blending old and new, its musical repertoire comes from field recordings, old hymns and LPs, as well as modern literary sources and their own original compositions.

Here’s a link to view a video of Allison DeGroot & Tatiana Hargreaves performing tunes from Hurricane Clarice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzPI7Q5h04.

Sultans of String’s wide-ranging musical palette features elements of Spanish flamenco, Celtic reels, Django-inspired jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, and more. Like Wort Hannam, Sultans of String also was honored for its eighth album during the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Released in November 2021, Sanctuary is the second installment in the band’s Refugee Project, which violinist and bandleader Chris McKhool says is “centered around the positive contributions of refugees and new immigrants to Canada” and tells the story of how to communicate with others through the global language of music. McKhool received a 2021 CFMA as Producer of the Year for its predecessor, Refugee. According to McKhool, Sanctuary’s 11 songs speak to the challenges facing the world’s displaced people – their stories, their songs, their persistence, and their humanity.

Here’s a link to view the official trailer for a film about The Refugee Project that screened during the Canadian Folk Music Awards weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvVe90RJwb4.

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. This year’s 104 nominees spanned the country from Leader, Saskatchewan to Papineauville, Quebec, and from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia to Fredericton, New Brunswick. They were chosen for each category via two-stage jury process. More than 100 jurors, located across Canada and representing all of its official provinces, territories and languages determine the recipients in each category.

A complete list of winners in the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while
more information may be found online at folkawards.ca.

Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année
Folk For Little Folk Volume 1 (Gordie Crazylegs MacKeeman)

Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année
Long Haul (John Wort Hannam)

Contemporary Singer of the Year / Chanteur contemporain de l’année
Kyle McKearney (Down-Home)

English Songwriter(s) / Auteur compositeur(s) anglophone
Abigail Lapell (Stolen Time)

Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année
The Slocan Ramblers (Up the Hill and Through the Fog)

French Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur-compositeur(s) francophone de l’année
Geneviève Roberge-Bouchard & Alain Barbeau (J’attends encore)

Global Roots Album of the Year / Album traditions du monde de l’année
Sanctuary (Sultans of String)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) autochtone de l’année
Amanda Rheaume (The Spaces In Between)

Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves (Hurricane Clarice)

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year / Instrumentiste solo de l’année
Waymzy (Inchoate)

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year / Artiste(s) de la relève de l’année
RedFox (Stranger Love)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroer
Transcestral (Oktoécho)

Producer(s) of the Year / Réalisateur(s) de l’année
Chris McKhool & John ‘Beetle’ Bailey (Sanctuary – Sultans of String)

Single of the Year / Monoplage de l’année
“Sing Me A Song” (William Prince and Serena Ryder)

Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année
John Wort Hannam (Long Haul)

Traditional Album of the Year/ Album traditionnel de l’année
Hurricane Clarice (Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves)

Traditional Singer of the Year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année
Lizzy Hoyt (The Parting Glass)

Vocal Group of the Year / Groupe vocal de l’année
The McDades (The Empress)

Young Performer(s) of the Year / Jeune artiste(s) de l’année
Fiddelium (Fiddelium)

NERFA (nerfa.org) is one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion — and the only one to host its annual conference both in-person and online this year. Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) and Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) held in-person conferences in September and October, respectively, while Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) held its 2022 conference in the spring and Folk Alliance Region-West opted not to host one this year.

As in years past, the NERFA conference will feature several jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, song swaps and jam sessions; open mics; one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions; an exhibit hall; keynote speakers, awards; a community meeting; an open-sing; and lots of informal conversation and networking. The conference is designed to help attendees forge connections and build community, while also providing learning and performance opportunities that can help enhance their professional and personal lives.

Unlike previous NERFA conferences, all of the events will not take place in one location. While the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel will be home to much of the in-person conference, Formal Showcases will be held at The Stone Pony — a venerable music club located just a few minutes away from it. NERFA Awards will also be presented there, as will two of the conference’s three nightly keynote addresses.

Artists Showcase Their Talents at The Stone Pony, the Host Hotel and Online

The juried formal showcases are considered the premiere performance opportunity during the conference. From among hundreds of submissions, 20 artists/acts were chosen to perform in-person at The Stone Pony, while another 20 were awarded virtual showcase opportunities. All will be streamed online for virtual ticket holders, while Saturday’s in-person formal showcases also are open to the public for $15 plus a service fee in advance via nerfaconference.org/tickets/ or $20 at the venue.

Virtual formal showcasing performers – each of whom submitted a pre-recorded live video – include Deidre McCalla, Emily Drinker, Genevieve Racette, Greg Greenway, ilyAIMY, Joshua Garcia, Justin Farren, Kray Van Kirk, Larry & Joe, Madison Violet, Natalie Price, Palmyra, Peter Calo, Rachael Sage, Rupert Wates, Sam Robbins, Shanna in a Dress, Taylor Abrahamse, and Travis Knapp. In addition to being screened online, all 20 virtual formal showcases will be presented on-site via a theater-sized video wall in the exhibit hall that will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy a Saturday afternoon showcase presented by Folk Music Ontario and the opening night’s Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase that will feature short performances by seven artists/acts selected by folk DJs, along with a keynote address by Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY — America’s longest continuously operating folk club. Following the juried and folk DJ showcases each evening, a number of private showcases curated by conference attendees will be held in various hotel rooms from 10 p.m. through the early morning hours on Thursday-Saturday overnight. Some hosts may also livestream their in-person showcases, while others are hosting virtual showcases.

Panel Discussions and Workshops Explore a Variety of Topics

The conference’s programming committee has created a streamlined array of 60-90 minute panel discussions and workshops. These include “Artists & Presenters: Safe Expectations & Boundaries,” “Blurring the Boarder: Do’s, Don’ts and Musts to Ensure a Successful Crossing,” “Bringing Your Venue Online,” “Coming Back from Quarantine – House Concert Edition,” “A Crash Course in Cutting the Cord & Becoming a Full-Time Musician,” “The Current State of Marketing Yourself,” “Defining Success in Your Career,” “Editing Videos for Fun and Profit,” “Export Ready – Preparing Yourself for a New Marketplace,” “How to Return from the Pandemic Stronger,” “How to Seize Financial Opportunities,” “The Ins & Outs of Co-writing,” “Keep the Story Going (The Lifecycle of a Song),” “Lifecycle of Record Production & Release,” “The Reality of Touring for Working Artists,” and “Recording Remotely.”

David Amram (“the renaissance man of American music”) and Vance Gilbert (a veteran touring singer-songwriter and past keynote speaker) will conduct performance critique sessions, while Jean Rohe and acclaimed singer-songwriter Dar Williams present songwriting workshops. Ron Olesko (a veteran folk DJ and the creator & curator of Folk Music Notebook) moderates a Wisdom of the Elders panel discussion featuring Kari Estrin (a radio promoter and artist development & career consultant), Mitch Greenhiill (a musician, composer, producer, and president of the music agency FLiArtists) and Biff Kennedy (an artist manager and radio promoter).

Virtual Tickets Enabling Online Access to the Conference for 30 or 365 Days are Still Available for Purchase

Virtual tickets that afford you online access to all official virtual conference programming (including live-streamed panel discussions and workshops, formal showcases and keynotes, as well as virtual private showcases) for 30/365 days following the conference are available for $35/$50 plus service fees at nerfaconference.org/tickets/.

“Gathering in person after two years of making connections though our online events is going to be so lovely,” said Dalis Allen, SWRFA’s executive director and longtime conference coordinator. “Everyone is so excited! We have many new folks attending – joining our team of folks that have continued to make our SWRFA conference the welcoming event that it is.”

Prior to the official start of the conference on Thursday, folks will converge on Austin’s NeWorlDeli on Wednesday night for a party and meet & greet during which many registered artists will e afforded an opportunity to perform a song. Similarly, there will be an open mic during a pool party at the Holiday Inn-Midtown, the conference’s host hotel, on Thursday night, along with a meal courtesy of Berkalin Records. Prior to the pool party, there will be several panels during the mid-late afternoon.

Performing Artists Will Have Lots of Opportunities to Showcase Their Talents; Official Showcases are Open to the Public on Friday and Saturday Nights

A number of unplugged in-room showcases will follow the Official Showcases on Friday and Saturday overnight from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. AcousticMusicScene.com’s in-room showcase on Saturday overnight will feature a Midnight Hoot preceded by several song swaps. Although the online publication for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities has hosted showcases at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) and Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conferences for many years, this marks the first time it is doing so during a SWRFA conference. A popular annual event at NERFA conferences since 2007, the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot at the SWRFA conference will feature two-dozen artists/acts — each performing one song between midnight and 2 a.m. A house band is available to accompany any artists on request.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase schedule:

10:30 Song Swap: Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Shanna in a Dress

11:00 Song Swap: George Ensle, Tim Grimm

11:30 Texas Troubadours: Brian Kalinec, Randy Palmer, Joel White

12:00 AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot – Part 1
(One song per artist/act; order subject to change.)

Taylor Pie, Nancy K. Dillon, Michael Henchman, Libby Koch, Ken Gaines, Karyn Oliver, Jake Farr, Grace Morrison, Sarah Pierce, Kacey & Jenna, Roxi Copland, Erin Ivey

House Band: Merel Bregante (percussion), John Inman and Brian Kalinec (guitars)

1:00 AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot – Part 2
(One song per artist/act; order subject to change.)

Ryan Biter, Deidre McCalla, Carl Solomon, Carla Ulbrich, Vanessa Lively & Ben Bedford, Claudia Gibson, Alicia Stockman, Natalie Price, Carolyn Shulman, Dan Weber, Lynn McCracken

House Band: Merel Bregante (percussion), John Inman and Brian Kalinec (guitars)

The conference wraps up with an extended Sunday brunch during which songwriters who drew a random song assignment/topic upon picking up their credentials at the outset of the conference, will share the songs that they wrote over the weekend. “Getting to listen to the songs written during the conference from a prompt is still one of my very favorite things I do all year,” said Allen. Many artists and other conference attendees share her sentiments and have made the song-sharing event a longtime conference highlight.

SWRFA (swfolkalliance.org) is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. SWRFA includes the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Editor’s Note: Besides hosting a late-night song swaps and a midnight hoot during the SWRFA conference, I will assist PuffBunny Records (an indie label for which I provide PR counsel and services) with its in-room showcase and Taylor Pie with a Q & A following the screening of Nobody Famous, an award-winning documentary about her and the 1960s folk-pop trio Pozo Seco Singers of which she was the lead singer and a founding member (along with Don Williams and Lofton Kline). I also will take part in a panel discussion on showcasing and offer some mentoring sessions on various PR, social media and strategic communications topics. I am a board member of Folk Alliance International and NERFA.

The regional events provide useful and enjoyable learning and networking opportunities, not to mention plenty of listening and performing opportunities for artists, presenters, agents and managers, DJs, and others engaged in the folk music field. Booking gigs is a primary objective of some performing artists who attend these annual conferences, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to scout out new artists and those who they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, these conferences are much more than that – they are really about forging connections and building community.

FARM Gathering in Illinois to Feature 14 Official Showcase Artists/Acts

The 14 artists/acts slated to perform during Official Showcases at the 2022 FARM Gathering on the evenings of October 21 and 22 are (listed alphabetically by last name or group name) Basset, Buffalo Rose, Sienna Christie, Djangophonique, Gina Forsyth, Ben Gage, Tim Grimm, House of Hamill, Jordan Hamilton, Donna Herula Trio, Spencer LaJoye, Annie Mack, Steam Machine, and Rupert Wates. Named as alternates were Tret Fure and Kelly Hunt featuring Stas Heaney. They were chosen from among nearly 170 entries. The FARM Gathering extends from October 20-23 at Doubletree Lisle Naperville in Lisle, Illinois -– near Chicago. Conversations and workshops during this year’s gathering will focus around themes of inclusion through song, storytelling, and community building. Grammy Award-winner Dom Flemons, The American Songster, will deliver a keynote address. While last year’s conference took place solely online, the 2022 Gathering will feature a combination of in-person and virtual content. For more information, visit farmfolk.org.

SWRFA Taps 16 Artists/Acts for its Official Showcases in Austin, Texas

SWRFA will host eight official showcases on Friday night, September 23 and another eight on Saturday night, September 24. The showcasing artists are listed below in order of performance (subject to change if needed). Sept. 23: Jean Rohe, David Starr, Karyn Oliver, Noah Zacharin, Deidre McCalla, Grace Morrison, Javier Jara, and Violet Bell. Sept. 24: Vanessa Lively, Erin Ivey, George Ensle, Shanna in a Dress, Abigail Lapell, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Natalie Price, and Justin Farren. The Official Showcases will be held in the ballroom at the Holiday Inn-Midtown in Austin, Texas. In addition, an Alternates Official Showcase featuring Alicia Stockman, Beth//James, Ryan Biter, Leeann Atherton, Jason Erie, and Wild Ponies will take place in another room at the hotel following a pool party on Thursday night, September 22. The 23rd Annual SWRFA Conference extends from September 21-25. For more information, visit swfolkalliance.org.

A Bit About FAI, NERFA and Other Regional Affiliates

Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA.org), which draws the largest number of people to its annual conferences of any FAI region, will announce its juried Formal Showcase artists in August. Its conference is slated for November 10-13 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, with Formal Showcases at the legendary Stone Pony. A hybrid event, much of the NERFA conference will also be livestreamed. Although NERFA is no longer accepting applications for its in-person formal showcases, conference attendees (in-person and virtual) may still apply for virtual showcases until August 15. Artists must be registered for the conference in order to do so.

Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) has opted not to host a conference this year, while Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) annual conference attendees converged on Black Mountain, North Carolina in May and will again.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) — which hosts its 35th annual conference, February 1-5, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri — is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through preservation, presentation and promotion. Its conference theme is Facing the Future: Sustainability on Folk Music.

Editor’s Note: I serve on the boards of directors of both Folk Alliance International and NERFA and am a past president of NERFA. I have been a workshop presenter, moderator and/or mentor at FAI, FARM virtual, FAR-West, NERFA and SERFA conferences and will be participating in this year’s SWRFA conference. I am not involved in the selection of juried showcase artists, although I host late-night showcases under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com at conferences.

Andy Baker (Gobles, MI), John John Brown (Pawling, NY), Abigail Lapell (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Louise Mosrie Coombe (Williamsburg, MA), Michael Prysock (Dallas, TX), and Shanna in a Dress (Boulder, CO) will each perform short sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert as part of the second weekend of the 2020 October Virtual Celebration on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 17, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CDT/ 2:30 p.m. EDT/11:30 a.m. PDT.

Here’s a link to a video of Shanna performing “Daddy’s Little Girl,” one of her winning songs: https://youtube.com/watch?v=c4UVb9BXe4s

Shanna told AcousticMusicScene.com that being named a New Folk Winner is “very exciting and also a bit of a double-edged sword- because of the pandemic it’s kind of the worst year to win! Normally (I’ve heard)
you get really tight with your fellow New Folk class, get to play on the mainstage during the Kerrville Folk Festival, and go on a two-week tour with the other winners. I LOVE LOVE LOVE people and connecting with them in thefestival environment, and I’m definitely disappointed I don’t get to do that.”

Noting that this was her first year being part of New Folk, Abigail Lapell told AcousticMusicScene.com: “it’s been really incredible, despite being a really different experience from most years. Our hosts Lindsey and Deb [Rouse] and the whole Kerrville team, along with all the finalists, have worked really hard to make it feel like a community, despite gathering remotely. I know we all wished we could be together at Quiet Valley Ranch, but I’m so glad we were able to capture a bit of that magic over the virtual airwaves.”

Lapell said that the biggest highlight for her was “ discovering so many new-to-me musicians and getting to check out everyone’s songs. I feel truly honoured (Canadian spelling, represent!!!) to be among such a talented group. I also got to check out some of the other festival performances last weekend, which was really inspiring. Everyone involved did a great job pulling off an amazing festival under challenging circumstances.”

Here’s a link to view a video of Abigail Lapell performing “Down by the Water,” one of the two songs that she submitted to the New Folk Competition:

https://youtu.be/NUgySaZ3NeQ

Expressing thanks to all of the finalists for sharing their “works of art,” Tom Prasada-Rao, a past Kerrville New Folk Winner and one of this year’s three judges, said: “It really doesn’t matter whether you are declared a winner or not because you are all winners.” Sharing similar sentiments, Bernice Lewis, also a past Kerrville New Folk winner who served as a judge, said that just being part of the competition “inspired me to write better songs and be a better musician.”

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. This year’s festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, festival organizers hosted an online festival featuring virtual concerts and campfire song circles that were streamed online on three successive Saturdays in late May-early June. Although the festival was tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 8-18, those plans also had to be scrapped due to the ongoing health crisis. In its place, a Virtual Celebration has been taking place online via the festival’s website, Facebook page and YouTube channel over two successive weekends and continues Oct. 17-18.

For more information on the Kerrville New Folk Competition and to view a full schedule of the festival’s 2020 October Virtual Celebration — including evening concerts and virtual campfires — visit https://www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org/oct2020-virtual-lineup.

Chosen from among more than 700 submissions from around the world, the finalists were announced earlier this year. The New Folk Concerts – established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow — are usually a highlight of the annual 18-day-long singer-songwriter-focused Kerrville Folk Festival in late May-June on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country. However, this year’s festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, festival organizers hosted an online festival featuring virtual concerts and campfire song circles that were streamed online on three successive Saturdays in late May-early June. Although the festival was tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 8-18, those plans also had to be scrapped due to the ongoing health crisis.

In its place, a Virtual Celebration will take place online via the festival’s website, Facebook page and YouTube channel over the weekends of Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18. Hillary Adamson will serve as emcee of the 2020 New Folk Concerts that will feature videos submitted by each of the 24 finalists. Featured performing songwriters on Saturday, Oct. 10 (in order of appearance) are Eliza Edens (Williamstown, MA), T Buckley (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Aubryn (Nashville, TN), Andy Baker (Gobles, MI), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Boston, MA), Ryan Davenport (Taylor, TX), China Kent (Denver, CO), Nick Depuy (New Canaan, CT), Louise Mosrie Coombe (Williamsburg, MA), Chad Elliott (Lamont, IA), Justina Shandler (Roanoke, VA), and Russ Parrish (Burnsville, MN). The Oct. 11 lineup features John John Brown (Pawling, NY), Claire Kelly (Nashville, TN), Michael Prysock (Dallas, TX), Shanna in a Dress (Boulder, CO), Daniel Elixir (Brixey, MO), Nancy Beaudette (Cornwall, Ontario, Canada), Clint Alphin (Nashville, TN), Anne E. DeChant (Avon Lake, OH), Susan Cattaneo (Medford, MA), Jeremy Facknitz (Colorado Springs, CO), and Abigail Lapell (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Following the virtual New Folk Concerts, six songwriters will be selected as 2o020 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges comprised of Stuart Adamson, Bernice Lewis and Tom Prasada-Rao. The six, to be announced during the virtual Sunday evening concert on Oct. 11, will receive cash honorariums and other prizes, as well as the opportunity to return the following weekend to each perform 15-minute sets during a n online New Folk Winners Concert the following Saturday afternoon, Oct. 17, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CDT.

For more information of the Kerrville New Folk Competition and to view a full schedule of the festival’s 2020 October Virtual Celebration – including evening concerts and virtual campfires – visit https://www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org/oct2020-virtual-lineup.

“None of us know when it will be possible to responsibly invite you back to Quiet Valley Ranch; we are hoping with all our hearts for October,” The Kerrville Festival Foundation staff wrote in a May 14 email to friends of the festival. “In the meantime, we are doing all we can, using every option available to us to weather this storm, and we will succeed.

What gives us faith is all of you. We are so deeply touched by so many messages of encouragement, love for the festival, and love for the community. And as festival time draws closer, we asked our artists to help us with a gift to our Festival family.”

Kerrville Folk Festival Virtual Concerts are slated for Saturdays May 23, May 30 and June 6 from 7-9 p.m. CDT/8-10 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. Among the artists set to perform are Marcia Ball, Beat Root Revival, Black Pumas, The Chris Chandler Show, Mikaela Davis, John Elliott, Folk Family Revival, Rebecca Folsom, John Fullbright, Vance Gilbert, Jaimee Harris, Kyshona, Bernice Lewis, The Limeliters, James McMurtry, Tom Meny, Possessed by Paul James, Tom Prasada-Rao Trio, Bruce Robison, Shake Russell & Michael Hearne, Darrell Scott, Texicana Mamas, Verlon Thompson, Trout Fishing in America, Wood & Wire, and more.

The virtual concerts will stream online at https://kerrvillefolkfestival.orgg and on the festival’s Facebook page, where more details will be posted in coming days. Viewers will be afforded the opportunity to tip the artists and donate to the foundation. The two-hour concerts each evening will be followed by Virtual Campfires via Zoom hosted by members of the Kerrmunitty.

Named as finalists in the Grassy Hill-Kerrville New Folk Competition are: Clint Alphin (Nashville, TN), Andy Baker (Gables, MI), Nancy Beaudette (Cornwall, ON, Canada), John John Brown (Pawling, NY), T Buckley (Calgary, AB, Canada), Susan Cattaneo (Medford, MA), Ryan Davenport (Taylor, TX), Anne E. DeChant (Avon Lake, OH), Nick Dupuy (New Canaan, CT), Eliza Edens (Williamstown, MA), Daniel Elixir (Brixley, MO), Chad Elliott (Limoni, IA), Jeremy Facknitz (Colorado Springs, CO), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Boston, MA), Claire Kelly (Nashville, TN), China Kent (Denver, Colorado), Abigail Lapell (Toronto, ON, Canada), Louise Mosrie (Williamstown, MA), Russ Parrish (Burnsville, MN), Michael Prysock (Dallas, TX), Justina Shandler(Roanoke, VA), Shanna in a Dress (Boulder, CO), Aubryn Stevens (Nashville, TN), and Alex Wong (Nashville, TN).

After performing the two songs that they submitted during New Folk Concerts slated for Oct. 9 and 10 at the Threadgill Theater during the festival, six songwriters will be selected as 2020 New Folk Winners. The six will receive cash honorariums and other prizes, as well as the opportunity to return the following weekend to each perform 20-minute sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners concert.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. In addition to receiving cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

Originally slated to take place during two Awards Weekend Concerts at the PEI Convention Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, April 3-4, Canada’s leading folk music event took place virtually in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Observing social distancing protocols, Benoit Bourque and Jean Hewson co-hosted the bilingual broadcast from 1,600 miles apart.

A two-stage jury process featuring 100 jurors based across Canada and representing all official provinces, territories and languages determined the official recipients in each of 19 categories. In an effort to recognize more outstanding albums and performers in higher-subscribed categories, the number of nominees in the Contemporary Album of the Year, New/Emerging Artist of the Year, Solo Artist of the Year, and English Songwriter(s) of the Year categories were expanded this year. Donnie Campbell of Nova Scotia was named as the recipient of the Slaight unsung Hero Award.

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 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at https://folkawards.ca.

Traditional Album of the Year

Queen City Jubilee by The Slocan Ramblers

Contemporary Album of the Year

Assiniboine & the Red by The Small Glories

Children’s Album of the Year

Lullabies For Big Eyes by The Kerplunks

Traditional Singer of the Year

Rachel Davis for Ashlar (Còig)

Contemporary Singer of the Year

Matt Andersen for Halfway Home By Morning

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year

Sabin Jacques for Grandes Rencontres (Sabin Jacques & Rachel Aucoin)

Instrumental Group of the Year

Mairi Rankin & Eric Wright for The Cabin Sessions

Vocal Group of the Year

The Small Glories for Assiniboine & The Red

Ensemble of the Year

The Small Glories for Assiniboine & The Red

Solo Artist of the Year

Irish Mythen for Little Bones

English Songwriter(s) of the Year

Abigail Lapell for Getaway

French Songwriter(s) of the Year

Bernard Adamus for C’qui nous reste du Texas

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year

Diyet van Lieshout for Diyet & the Love Soldiers

World Solo Artist of the Year

Wesli for Rapadou Kreyol

World Group of the Year

Ayrad for Zoubida

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year

Geneviève Racette for No Water, No Flowers

Producer(s) of the Year

Daniel Ledwell for Time Travel (Lennie Gallant)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award

Elisapie for The Ballad of the Runaway Girl

Young Performer(s) of the Year

Joshua Haulli for AQQUT

During the online awards broadcast, Rob Oakie, executive director of Music PEI, announced that the 2021 CFMAs would take place in Charlottetown, PEI next April.

Gunning, Grant and The Small Glories are among the eight artists/acts in the running for Contemporary Album of the Year for Up Against The Sky, Love, Inevitable and Assiniboine & the Red, respectively. Gunning and Grant also received nominations for both Contemporary and Solo Artist of the Year, while Gunning also is among those vying for English Songwriter of the Year. The Small Glories also are nominated in the Ensemble and traditional Group of the Year categories, while Vishten received nominations for Traditional Album and Ensemble of the Year, as well as the Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award.

A two-stage jury process featuring 100 jurors based across Canada and representing all official provinces, territories and languages determine the official recipients in each category. In an effort to recognize more outstanding albums and performers in higher-subscribed categories, the number of nominees in the Contemporary Album of the Year, New/Emerging Artist of the Year, Solo Artist of the Year, and English Songwriter(s) of the Year categories have been expanded.

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 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at www.folkawards.ca.

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Traditional Album of the Year

Easy Money by Old Man Luedecke
Horizons by Vishtèn
Queen City Jubilee by The Slocan Ramblers
Territoires by Le Vent du Nord
Watchmaker by Shannon Quinn

Contemporary Album of the Year

Assiniboine & the Red by The Small Glories
Citizen Alien by Leaf Rapids
Getaway by Abigail Lapell
Love, Inevitable by Jenn Grant
The Al Purdy Songbook by Various Artists
The Maze by Ariana Gillis
Time Travel by Lennie Gallant
Up Against The Sky by Dave Gunning

Children’s Album of the Year

It Takes a Village by Ginalina
Lullabies For Big Eyes by The Kerplunks
Magical Lullabies by Amos J & Jérôme Fortin
Rocks and Roots by Will’s Jams
You, Me and the Sea by Splash’N Boots

Traditional Singer of the Year

Rachel Davis for Ashlar (Còig)
Joshua Haulli for AQQUT
Sophie Lavoie for Portraits (Sophie & Fiachra)
Old Man Luedecke for Easy Money
Allison Lupton for Words of Love

Contemporary Singer of the Year

Matt Andersen for Halfway Home By Morning
Jenn Grant for Love, Inevitable
Dave Gunning for Up Against The Sky
Lydia Persaud for Let Me Show You
Andrea Ramolo for Homage

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year

Itamar Erez for Mi Alegria
Sabin Jacques for Grandes Rencontres (Sabin Jacques & Rachel Aucoin)
Graham Lindsey for TradHead
Jon Pilatzke for Amongst Friends
Richard Wood for Unbroken

Instrumental Group of the Year

Emilyn Stam & Filippo Gambetta for Shorelines
Mairi Rankin & Eric Wright for The Cabin Sessions
Pierre Schryer & Adam Dobres for Mandorla
The Fitzgeralds for The Fitzgeralds
Toronto Tabla Ensemble for Bhumika

Vocal Group of the Year

Fortunate Ones for Hold Fast
Geneviève et Alain for De la rivière à la mer
Musique à bouches for L’habit de plumes
The Small Glories for Assiniboine & The Red
The Sweet Lowdown for Low Clouds in the Morning

Ensemble of the Year

Haley Richardson & Quinn Bachand for When The Wind Blows High and Clear
Oliver the Crow for Oliver the Crow
The Slocan Ramblers for Queen City Jubilee
The Small Glories for Assiniboine & The Red
Vishtèn for Horizons

Solo Artist of the Year

Michael Jerome Browne for That’s Where It’s At
Jenn Grant for Love, Inevitable
Dave Gunning for Up Against The Sky
Sarah MacDougall for All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything
Danny Michel for White & Gold
Irish Mythen for Little Bones

English Songwriter(s) of the Year

Ben Caplan, Christian Barry for Old Stock (Ben Caplan)
Lennie Gallant for Time Travel
Dave Gunning for Up Against The Sky
Kaia Kater for Grenades
Abigail Lapell for Getaway
Cara Luft, JD Edwards, Neil Osborne, Catherine MacLellan for Assiniboine & The Red (The Small Glories)
Madeleine Roger for Cottonwood
Justin Rutledge for Passages

French Songwriter(s) of the Year

Bernard Adamus for C’qui nous reste du Texas
Jordane Labrie, Clement Desjardins for 12 jours (Jordane)
Jean Leloup for L’étrange pays
Safia Nolin for Dans le noir
Caroline Savoie for Pourchasser l’aube

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year

Sugar Plum Croxen, Shelley Hamilton, George Elliott Clarke for Constitution (The Afro-Métis Nation)
Jenelle Duval, Danielle Benoit, Stacey Howse for Qama’si (Eastern Owl)
Joshua Haulli for AQQUT
Diyet van Lieshout for Diyet & the Love Soldiers
Mike Paul for Origine

World Solo Artist of the Year

Ben Caplan for Old Stock
Cristian De La Luna for SABES
Quique Escamilla for Encomienda
Roberto López for Kaleido Strópico
Wesli for Rapadou Kreyol

World Group of the Year

Al Qahwa for Cairo Moon
Ayrad for Zoubida
Emilyn Stam & Filippo Gambetta for Shorelines
Pierre Schryer & Adam Dobres for Mandorla
Toronto Tabla Ensemble for Bhumika

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year

Birds Of Bellwoods for Victoria
Geneviève Racette for No Water, No Flowers
Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys for Dreamland
Hook & Nail for Ghosts of Taylorton
Lydia Persaud for Let Me Show You
T. Buckley for Miles We Put Behind
The Lumber Jills for The Lumber Jills
The Unfaithful Servants for The Unfaithful Servants

Producer(s) of the Year

Erin Costelo for Grenades (Kaia Kater)
Steve Dawson for Halfway Home By Morning (Matt Andersen)
Luke Doucet for The Northern South Vol. 2 (Whitehorse)
Daniel Ledwell for Time Travel (Lennie Gallant)
Jory Nash, Chris Stringer for Wilderness Years (Jory Nash)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award

Ben Caplan for Old Stock
Elisapie for The Ballad of the Runaway Girl
Samson Wrote for Pigeon
Tri-Continental for Dust Dance
Vishtèn for Horizons

Young Performer(s) of the Year

Conway for Conway
Nick Earle for Breaking New Ground
Joshua Haulli for AQQUT
Keltie for Expect Inhibition
Jacques Surette for Marche, marche, marche