Canadian Folk Music Awards

Canadian Folk Music Awards
Current: 15th Canadian Folk Music Awards
Awarded for	Outstanding achievements in folk music and roots music
Country	Canada
First awarded	2005
Website	http://folkawards.ca

The Canadian Folk Music Awards are an annual music awards ceremony presenting awards in a variety of categories for achievements in both traditional and contemporary folk music, and other roots music genres, by Canadian musicians.^[1] The awards program was created in 2005 by a group of independent label representatives, folk music presenters, artists, and enthusiasts to celebrate and promote Canadian folk music.^[2]

Awards ceremonies[]

The following is a listing of all Canadian Folk Music Awards ceremonies.

Ceremony	Date	Venue	City	Host(s)
1st Canadian Folk Music Awards[3]	December 10, 2005	Canadian Museum of Civilization	Gatineau, Quebec	Gilles Garand, Connie Kaldor
2nd Canadian Folk Music Awards[4]	December 10, 2006	Myer Horowitz Theatre	Edmonton, Alberta
3rd Canadian Folk Music Awards[5]	December 1, 2007	Canadian Museum of Civilization	Gatineau, Quebec	Shelagh Rogers, Benoit Bourque
4th Canadian Folk Music Awards[6]	November 23, 2008	Arts and Cultural Centre	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
5th Canadian Folk Music Awards[7]	November 21, 2009	Dominion Chalmers Church	Ottawa, Ontario
6th Canadian Folk Music Awards[8]	November 20, 2010	Pantages Playhouse Theatre	Winnipeg, Manitoba
7th Canadian Folk Music Awards[9]	December 4, 2011	Isabel Bader Theatre	Toronto, Ontario
8th Canadian Folk Music Awards[10]	November 17, 2012	Imperial Theatre	Saint John, New Brunswick	Benoit Bourque
9th Canadian Folk Music Awards[11]	November 10, 2013	University of Calgary Theatre	Calgary, Alberta	Shelagh Rogers, Benoit Bourque
10th Canadian Folk Music Awards[12]	November 29, 2014	Bronson Centre	Ottawa, Ontario	Shelagh Rogers, Benoit Bourque
11th Canadian Folk Music Awards	November 8, 2015	Citadel Theatre	Edmonton, Alberta	Connie Kaldor, Benoit Bourque
12th Canadian Folk Music Awards	December 3, 2016	Isabel Bader Theatre	Toronto, Ontario	Jean Hewson, Benoit Bourque
13th Canadian Folk Music Awards	November 19, 2017	Bronson Centre	Ottawa, Ontario	Jean Hewson, Benoit Bourque
14th Canadian Folk Music Awards	December 1, 2018	The Gateway	Calgary, Alberta	James Keelaghan, Benoit Bourque
15th Canadian Folk Music Awards	April 4, 2020	Ceremony cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; winners announced online.
16th Canadian Folk Music Awards	April 10, 2021
17th Canadian Folk Music Awards	April 3, 2022	Delta Hotel	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island	Hosts TBA

Awards[]

Classic Canadian Album[]

Year	Recipient	Album
2008	Gordon Lightfoot	Lightfoot!

Traditional Album of the Year[]

This award recognizes solo artists, groups or duos. Instrumental or vocal traditional folk music are eligible. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Album - Traditional.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Le Vent du Nord	Les Amants du Saint-Laurent
2006	Nicolas Boulerice et Olivier Demers	Un peu d'ci, Un peu d'ça
2007	La Part du Quêteux	Paye la Traite
2008	Genticorum	La Bibournoise
2009	James Hill & Anne Davison	True Love Don't Weep
2010	The Once	The Once
2011	Genticorum	Nagez Rameurs
2012	Metis Fiddler Quartet	Northwest Voyage Nord Ouest
2013	Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac	Seinn
2014	Còig	Five
2015	Matthew Byrne	Hearts and Heroes
2016	and	Princes et habitants
2017	Cassie and Maggie	The Willow Collection
2018	Matthew Byrne	Horizon Lines
2020	The Slocan Ramblers	Queen City Jubilee
2021	Beòlach	All Hands

Contemporary Album of the Year[]

This award recognizes solo artists, groups or duos. Instrumental or vocal contemporary folk music is eligible. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Album - Contemporary.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Nathan	Jimson Weed
2006	Penny Lang	Stone & Sand & Sea & Sky
2007	The Duhks	Migrations
2008	Luke Doucet and the White Falcon	Blood's Too Rich
2009	Joel Plaskett	Three
2010	John Wort Hannam	Queen's Hotel
2011	Bruce Cockburn	Small Source of Comfort
2012	The Deep Dark Woods	The Place I Left Behind
2013	Justin Rutledge	Valleyheart
2014	The Strumbellas	We Still Move On Dance Floors
2015	Catherine MacLellan	The Raven's Sun
2016	David Francey	Empty Train
2017	Abigail Lapell	Hide Nor Hair
2018	Donovan Woods	Both Ways
2020	The Small Glories	Assiniboine & the Red
2021	William Prince	Reliever

Children's Album of the Year[]

This award recognizes solo artists, groups or duos with a repertoire that is obviously directed towards youth. This award was first awarded in 2006 and prior to 2008 was known as Best Children's Album.

Year	Recipient	Album
2006	Ken Whiteley	Join the Band
2007	Pied Pumpkin	Pumkids: Tuneful Tales for Kids & Kin
2008	The Kerplunks	The Kerplunks
2009	Chris McKhool	FiddleFire!
2010	Andrew Queen	Too Tall
2011	Benoît Archambault	Les pourquoi
2012	Henri Godon	Chansons pour toutes sortes d'enfants
2013	Helen Austin	Always Be a Unicorn
2014	Fred Penner	Where in the World
2015	The Swinging Belles	More Sheep, Less Sleep
2016	The Kerplunks	Pants & Mammals
2017	Fred Penner	Hear the Music
2018	, Lisa LeBlanc, , , Vishtèn, and Édith Butler	Grand tintamarre ! - Chansons et comptines acadiennes
2020	The Kerplunks	Lullabies for Big Eyes
2021		Broccoli Farm

Traditional Singer of the Year[]

This award recognizes a traditional solo vocalist, or a specified vocalist within a group. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Singer - Traditional. This award was not awarded in 2006 and 2007.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Ian Robb	Jiig
2008	Enoch Kent	One More Round
2009	Colette Cheverie	Hours Before Dawn
2010	Yves Lambert	Bal à l'Huile
2011	Dave Gunning	...a tribute to John Allan Cameron
2012	Lenka Lichtenberg	Songs for the Breathing Walls
2013	Pharis Romero	Long Gone Out West Blues
2014	Mélisande Gélinas-Fauteux	Les métamorphoses
2015		Sliding Delta
2016	Chaim Tannenbaum	Chaim Tannenbaum
2017		Know the Mountain
2018	Pharis Romero	Sweet Old Religion
2020	Rachel Davis	Ashlar
2021	Pharis Romero	Bet on Love

Contemporary Singer of the Year[]

This award recognizes a contemporary solo vocalist, or a specified vocalist within a group. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Singer - Contemporary.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Lynn Miles	Love Sweet Love
2006	Jim Byrnes	House of Refuge
2007	David Francey	Right of Passage
2008	Tannis Slimmon	Lucky Blue
2009	Jim Byrnes	My Walking Stick
2010	Rose Cousins	The Send Off
2011	Suzie Vinnick	Me 'n' Mabel
2012	Rose Cousins	We Have Made A Spark
2013		Live at the Hive
2014	Matt Andersen	Weightless
2015	Amelia Curran	They Promised You Mercy
2016	Jadea Kelly	Love & Lust
2017	Stephen Fearing	Every Soul's a Sailor
2018	Rob Lutes	Walk in the Dark
2020	Matt Andersen	Halfway Home by Morning
2021	Coco Love Alcorn	Rebirth

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year[]

This award recognizes a solo artist. The majority of the recording must be instrumental. Instrumental music from all folk genres, traditional and contemporary, is eligible. This award was known as Best Instrumental Solo in 2005 and as Best Instrumentalist - Solo in 2006 and 2007.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	J. P. Cormier	X8: A Mandolin Collection
2006	Bruce Cockburn	Speechless
2007	Anne Lindsay	News From Up the Street
2008	Oliver Schroer	Hymns and Hers
2009	Tony McManus	The Maker's Mark
2010	Wendell Ferguson	Ménage à Moi
2011	Jayme Stone	Room of Wonders
2012	Trent Freeman	Rock Paper Scissors
2013	Chrissy Crowley	Last Night's Fun
2014	Jayme Stone	The Other Side of the Air
2015		The Back of Winter
2016	Duane Andrews	Conception Bay
2017		La grosse maison rouge
2018		Les entrailles de la montagne
2020		Grandes rencontres
2021		Solo

Instrumental Group of the Year[]

This award recognizes a group or duo. Instrumental music from all folk genres, traditional and contemporary, is eligible. This award was known as Best Instrumental Group in 2005 and Best Instrumentalist - Group in 2006 and 2007.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Beyond the Pale	Consensus
2006	The McDades	Bloom
2007	Creaking Tree String Quartet	The Soundtrack
2008	Sagapool	Episode Trois
2009	Sultans of String	Yalla Yalla!
2010	Beyond the Pale	Postcards
2011	Creaking Tree String Quartet	Sundogs
2012	The Fretless	Waterbound
2013	Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything	Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything
2014	The Andrew Collins Trio	A Play On Words
2015	Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy	One
2016		And It Was Good
2017	and	good2go
2018	The Fretless	Live from the Art Farm
2020	and	The Cabin Sessions
2021	Beòlach	All Hands

English Songwriter(s) of the Year[]

This award recognizes the lyrical and melodic excellence of a recording of original songs written in English. In the case of collaborations, 50% of the songwriters involved must be Canadian. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Songwriter - English.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Lynn Miles	Love Sweet Love
2006	Stephen Fearing	Yellowjacket
2007	Suzie Ungerleider	Short Stories
2008	Corb Lund	Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!
2009	Susan Crowe	Greytown
2010	Beyond the Pale	Postcards
2011	Lynn Miles	Fall for Beauty
2012	Catherine MacLellan	Silhouette
2013	David Francey	So Say We All
2014	Shari Ulrich	Everywhere I Go
2015	Amelia Curran	They Promised You Mercy
2016	Donovan Woods	Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled
2017	Ken Yates	Huntsville
2018	Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles (The Lynnes)	Heartbreak Song for the Radio
2020	Abigail Lapell	Getaway
2021	William Prince	Reliever

French Songwriter(s) of the Year[]

This award recognizes the lyrical and melodic excellence of a recording of original songs written in French. In the case of collaborations, 50% of the songwriters involved must be Canadian. This award was first awarded in 2007 where it was known as Best Songwriter - French.

Year	Recipient	Album
2007	of	Avale ta montre
2008		Quelqu'un d'autre
2009	Catherine Durand	Coeurs Migratoires
2010		Ma bête fragile
2011		Une lumière allumée
2012	Mes Aïeux	À l'aube du printemps
2013	Dany Placard	Démon vert
2014	Les Hay Babies	Mon Homesick Heart
2015	Louis-Jean Cormier	Les grandes artères
2016	Les soeurs Boulay	4499 de l'Amour
2017	Luc de Larochellière	Autre monde
2018	, , and ()	Le soleil en bulle
2020	Bernard Adamus	C'qui nous reste de Texas
2021	Marie-Ève Lapierre-Lemoyne	Onze

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year[]

This award recognizes the lyrical and melodic excellence of a recording of original songs written in an Indigenous language or by an Indigenous artist writing in English, French or an Indigenous language. In the case of collaborations, 50% of the songwriters involved must be Canadian. This award was first awarded in 2006 where it was known as Best Songwriter - Aboriginal until 2007, and was not awarded in 2008 and 2012.

Year	Recipient	Album
2006	Wayne Lavallee	Green Dress
2007	Sandy Scofield	Nikawiy Askiy
2009	Don Amero	Deepening
2010	Asani	Listen
2011	Vince Fontaine	Songs for Turtle Island
2013	Nancy Mike	Nunavuttitut
2014	Amanda Rheaume and John MacDonald	Keep a Fire
2015	Digging Roots (Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish)	For the Light
2016	Twin Flames (Jaaji Uppik and Chelsey June)	Jaaji and Chelsey June
2017	Twin Flames (Jaaji Uppik and Chelsey June)	Signal Fire
2018	Shauit	Apu peikussiaku
2020	Diyet van Lieshout	Diyet & the Love Soldiers
2021	Leela Gilday	North Star Calling

Vocal Group of the Year[]

This award recognizes a group or duo which focuses on ensemble singing. Music from all folk genres, traditional and contemporary, is eligible. The majority of the tracks must be vocal numbers. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Vocal Group.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Nathan	Jimson Weed
2006	Madrigaia	Pléiades
2007	Tanglefoot	Dance Like Flames
2008	Sisters of Sheynville	Sheynville Express
2009	Madison Violet	No Fool For Trying
2010	Dala	Girls from the North Country
2011	The Good Lovelies	Let The Rain Fall
2012	The Once	Row Upon Row of The People They Know
2013	The Good Lovelies	Live at Revolution
2014	The High Bar Gang	Lost and Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion
2015	Fortunate Ones	The Bliss
2016		Jusqu'aux oreilles
2017		The Riddles
2018	Pharis and Jason Romero	Sweet Old Religion
2020	The Small Glories	Assiniboine & the Red
2021	Pharis and Jason Romero	Bet on Love

Ensemble of the Year[]

This award recognizes a group or duo which can be instrumental or instrumental/vocal. Music from all folk genres, traditional and contemporary, is eligible. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Ensemble.

Year	Recipient	Album
2006	Mauvais Sort	Koru
2007	Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer	À la grâce de Dieu
2008	Yves Lambert et Le Bébert Orchestra	Le Monde à Lambert
2009	The Deep Dark Woods	Winter Hours
2010	Le Vent du Nord	La Part du Feu
2011	Genticorum	Nagez Rameurs
2012	The Fretless	Waterbound
2013	The Good Lovelies	Live at Revolution
2014	The Fretless	The Fretless
2015		A Little Frayed, a Little Torn
2016	The East Pointers	Secret Victory
2017		Count the Wicked
2018	The Lynnes	Heartbreak Song for the Radio
2020	The Small Glories	Assiniboine & the Red
2021	Pharis and Jason Romero	Bet on Love

Solo Artist of the Year[]

This award recognizes a solo artist. Instrumental or vocal music from all folk genres, traditional and contemporary, is eligible. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best Solo Artist.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Harry Manx	West Eats Meet
2006	Penny Lang	Stone & Sand & Sea & Sky
2007	Sarah Noni Metzner	Daybreak Mourning
2008	Michael Jerome Browne	Double
2009	Catherine MacLellan	Water in the Ground
2010	Amelia Curran	Hunter, Hunter
2011	Bruce Cockburn	Small Source of Comfort
2012	Michael Jerome Browne	The Road Is Dark
2013	Lynn Miles	Downpour
2014	Lennie Gallant	Live Acoustic at the Carleton
2015	Catherine MacLellan	The Raven's Sun
2016	David Francey	Empty Train
2017	Leeroy Stagger	Love Versus
2018	Bruce Cockburn	Bone on Bone
2020	Irish Mythen	Little Bones
2021	Julian Taylor	The Ridge

World Solo Artist of the Year[]

This award recognizes a solo artist. Instrumental or vocal world music is eligible. This award was known as Best World Artist Solo in 2005, as Best World Solo in 2007, as World Artist of the Year - Solo in 2010, and not awarded in 2006 and 2012.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Alpha Yaya Diallo	Djama
2007	Rita Chiarelli	Cuore : The Italian Sessions
2008	Celso Machado	Jogo da Vida
2009	Karim Saada	La Danse de l'exilé
2010	Dominic Mancuso	Comfortably Mine
2011	Kiran Ahluwalia	aam zameen : common ground
2013	Jorge Miguel	Guitarra Flamenca/Flamenco Guitar
2014	Quique Escamilla	500 Years of Night
2015	Kiran Ahluwalia	Sanata: Stillness
2016		Para ti
2017		A Luz (The Light)
2018	Eliana Cuevas	Golpes y Flores
2020	Wesli	Rapadou Kreyol

World Group of the Year[]

This award recognizes a group or duo. Instrumental or vocal world music is eligible. This award was known as Best Group - World Music in 2006, as Best World Group in 2007, as World Artist of the Year - Group in 2010, and not awarded in 2005.

Year	Recipient	Album
2006	The McDades	Bloom
2007	Mighty Popo	Muhazi
2008	David Buchbinder's Odessa/Havana	Odessa/Havana
2009	Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko	Africa to Appalachia
2010	Sokoun Trio	Zanneh
2011	Minor Empire	Second Nature
2012	Sultans of String	MOVE
2013	Jaffa Road	Where the Light Gets In
2014	Moustafa Kouyaté & Romain Malagnoux	Les frontières imaginaires
2015	Lemon Bucket Orkestra	Moorka
2016	Sultans of String	Subcontinental Drift
2017	Kobo Town	Where the Galleon Sank
2018	Autorickshaw	Meter
2020	Ayrad	Zoubida

World Album of the Year[]

Year	Recipient	Album
2021	Zal Sissokho	Kora flamenca

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year[]

This award recognizes an up-and-coming artist, duo or group. Instrumental or vocal music from all folk genres, traditional and contemporary, is eligible. Prior to 2008, this award was known as Best New/Emerging Artist.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Karla Anderson	The Embassy Sessions
2006	T. Nile	At My Table
2007	Brigitte Saint-Aubin	Être
2008	Chloe Albert	Dedicated State
2009	The Good Lovelies	Good Lovelies
2010	The Once	The Once
2011	Dave Gunning	...a tribute to John Allan Cameron
2012	Pharis and Jason Romero	A Passing Glimpse
2013	Mo Kenney	Mo Kenney
2014	The Bros. Landreth	Let it Lie
2015	The Young Novelists	made us strangers
2016	Hillsburn	In the Battle Years
2017	Ken Yates	Huntsville
2018		Night Sky
2020	Geneviève Racette	No Water, No Flowers
2021		America, Dreaming

Producer(s) of the Year[]

This award recognizes excellence in craft through acknowledgment of the individual(s) who produce recordings. In case of collaborations, 50% of the team must be Canadian. International releases are permitted.

Year	Recipient(s)	Artist(s)	Album(s)
2005	Steve Dawson	Jenny Whiteley	Hopetown
	Jordy Sharp	Harry Manx	West Eats Meet
2006	Steve Dawson	Jim Byrnes	House of Refuge
	Mike Roth	Dala	Angels & Thieves
2007	Anne Lindsay and Oliver Schroer	Anne Lindsay	News From Up the Street
2008	Mathieu Dandurand	David Jalbert	Des Histoires
2009	Joel Plaskett	Joel Plaskett	Three
2010	Steve Dawson	Various	Things About Comin' My Way
2011	Mark Howard & David Travers-Smith	The Wailin' Jennys	Bright Morning Stars
2012	Rob Szabo	Steve Strongman	A Natural Fact
2013	David Travers-Smith	Ruth Moody	These Wilder Things
		Jaron Freeman-Fox and The Opposite of Everything	Jaron Freeman-Fox and The Opposite of Everything
2014	Tom Terrell and Karl Falkenham	The Modern Grass	City Ghosts
2015	Daniel Ledwell	Jenn Grant	Compostela
2016		Corin Raymond	Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams
2017	Danny Michel and	Danny Michel	Khlebnikov
2018	Steve Dawson		Same As I Ever Have Been
2020	Daniel Ledwell	Lennie Gallant	Time Travel
2021	Chris McKhool and John "Beetle" Bailey	Sultans of Swing	Refuge

Pushing the Boundaries[]

This award recognizes a solo artist or group that takes creative risks by creating music with folk roots that is innovative, original and imaginative.

Year	Recipient	Album
2005	Creaking Tree String Quartet	Side Two
2006	Andrew Collins	Little Widgets
2007	Creaking Tree String Quartet	The Soundtrack
2008	Oliver Schroer	Hymns and Hers
2009	Steve Dawson	Telescope
2010	Beyond the Pale	Postcards
2011	Geoff Berner	Victory Party
2012	Sagapool	Sagapool
2013	Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything	Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything
2014	Tanya Tagaq	Animism
2015	Kevin Breit	Ernesto and Delilah
2016	Kaia Kater	Nine Pin
2017	Danny Michel	Khlebnikov
2018	Beatrice Deer	My All to You
2020	Elisapie	The Ballad of the Runaway Girl
2021		Dear Sienna

Young Performer(s) of the Year[]

This award recognizes a young (19 and under) solo artist or group. Music from all folk genres is eligible.

Year	Recipient	Album
2006	Sarah Burnell	Sarah'ndipity
2007	Kyrie Kristmanson	The Kyrie K Groove
2008	Emma Beaton	Pretty Fair Maid
2009	Ariana Gillis	To Make It Make Sense
2010	Alexandre Boivin-Caron	La Tradition
2011	Molly Thomason	Beauty Queen
2012	Lucas Chaisson	Growing Pains
2013	Kierah	Stonemason's Daughter
2014	Kacy & Clayton	The Day Is Past & Gone
2015		Tattered Rose
2016	Earle and Coffin	Live at the Citadel House
2017	Moscow Apartment	Demo
2018	Earle and Coffin	A Day in July
2020	Joshua Haulli	Aqqut
2021		The Gilberts: One

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Canadian Folk Music Awards / Prix de musique folk canadienne on Facebook
• Canadian Folk Music on Twitter