2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominees

Highlights from the news release: 

October 17, 2023 – Ottawa, ON -  The Canadian Folk Music Awards celebrates its 19th edition, with a roster of nominations that celebrates the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music in all its forms. This year’s nominees span the country from coast to coast to coast.  A new record of submissions, we are happy to announce a total of 110 nominees spanning over 20 categories — celebrating the diversity and talent of artists and musicians across Canada.

Established by Canada’s vibrant and internationally-recognized folk music community, CFMA nominees are chosen for each category through a two-stage jury process. More than 100 jurors, located across Canada, representing all provinces, territories and in both official languages, help determine the official recipients in each category. “Every year, the CFMA Nominee Announcement is an important moment for Canada’s folk music community to take note of the outstanding work done over the past year and celebrate the outstanding talent our country has to offer” explains CFMA president Graham Lindsey. “We are proud of the diversity of the nominated recordings, and it is a true testament to what our country’s musicians have to offer”.

The CFMA 2024 Awards Weekend takes place April 4th to the 7th, 2024, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The weekend will capture the true heart of our folk community, while celebrating the nominees and the category recipients.

Here is the nominee announcement

Links: CFMA, More CFMA Stories, Video above courtesy of prixfolkawards

Below is a complete list of nominees. Local acts are bolded.

*Signed to Waterdown's True North Records

Children’s Album of the Year

• Mr Ben (Hamilton) - Here Comes the Train
• The Relative Minors (Cambridge) - Minor Third
• Ginalina - Going Back: Remembered and Remixed Family Folk Songs
• Darrelle London - Primary
• The Swinging Belles - Welcome to the Flea Circus

Contemporary Album of the Year

• Terra Spencer & Ben Caplan (Hamilton) - Old News
  
  
  
  Links: Terra Spencer, More Terra Spencer Stories, Ben Caplan, More Ben Caplan Stories, Video above courtesy of Terra Spencer - Topic
  
  
• Jill Barber (Hamilton) - Homemaker
  
  
  
  Links: Jill Barber, More Jill Barber Music, Video above courtesy of Jill Barber
  
  
• Lynn Miles - TumbleWeedyWorld*
• The East Pointers - House of Dreams
• William Prince - Stand in the Joy
• NQ Arbuckle - Love Songs For The Long Game
• Tami Neilson - Kingmaker
• The Sadies - Colder Streams

Contemporary Singer of the Year

• Terra Spencer & Ben Caplan (Hamilton) - Old News
• Suzie Vinnick (Vineland) - Fall Back Home
  
  
  
  Links: Suzie Vinnick, More Suzie Vinnick Stories, Video above courtesy of Suzie Vinnick - Topic
  
  
• Julian Taylor - Beyond The Reservoir
• Kaeley Jade - Turpentine
• Joe Nolan - Lost Verses

English Songwriter(s) of the Year

• Whitehorse (Hamilton)- I'm Not Crying, You're Crying
  
  
  
  Links: Whitehorse, More Whitehorse Stories, Video above courtesy of Whitehorse
  
  
• The East Pointers - House of Dreams
• Jacob Brodovsky - I Love You and I'm Sorry
• Dave Gunning - The Same Storm
• Noah Derksen - Sanctity of Silence
• Noah Zacharin - Points of Light

Ensemble of the Year

• Whitehorse (Hamilton)- I'm Not Crying, You're Crying
• The East Pointers - House of Dreams
• Genticorum - Au coeur de l'aube
• The Bombadils - Dear Friend
• Jackson Hollow - Roses

Producer(s) of the Year

• Jill Barber (Hamilton) and Erik P. H. Nielsen - Jill Barber: Homemaker
• Jeremy Ledbetter - Seré Libre (Eliana Cuevas with the Angel Falls Orchestra)
• Steve Dawson - Eyes Closed, Dreaming (Steve Dawson)
• Kaitlin Milroy, Alex Millaire, Charles Fairfield, Olivier Fairfield - Salt (Moonfruits)
• Drew Jurecka and Dan Rosenberg - Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango (Payadora Tango Ensemble)

Traditional Album of the Year

• Meredith Moon - Constellations*
• The Bookends with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra - A Celtic Celebration
• Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira - All It Brings
• Mary Beth Carty - Crossing the Causeway
• La Déferlance - Le feu aux poudres

French Songwriter(s) of the Year

• Catherine Durand - La maison orpheline
• Veranda - Là-bas
• Marie-Ève Laure - Reviens
• Dans l'Shed - La nouvelle saison
• Aleksi Campagne - For The Giving / Sans rien donner

Global Roots Album of the Year

• Sophie Lukacs - Bamako
• Tarek Ghriri - Refugee in the Sea
• Roberto López - Ritual
• Taraf Syriana - Taraf Syriana
• Empress Nyiringango - Ubuntu

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year

• Willows - Maison vent
• Kaeley Jade - Turpentine
• Cynthia Hamar - Joint & Marrow
• Qattuu - Midnight Sun
• Kyle McKearney - A Traveler's Lament

Instrumental Composer(s) of the Year

• Queen Kong - Fray
• Steve Dawson - Phantom Threshold
• Vinta - Beacons
• Don Ross - Water
• Dario Montanino - Rio Lyon

Instrumental Group of the Year

• Queen Kong - Fray
• Vinta - Beacons
• So Long Seven - only elephants know her name
• Archetype Trad - Explorer
• Medusa - Medusa

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year

• Paul Pike - Echoes Of Our Ancestors
• Steve Dawson - Phantom Threshold
• Don Ross - Water
• Troy McLaggan - Wood, Steel & Bones
• Joy Lapps - Girl In The Yard
• Aaron Collis - Before Daylight in the Morning

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year

• Moonfruits - Salt
• Mia Kelly - Garden Through the War
• Kaeley Jade - Turpentine
• La Déferlance - Le feu aux poudres
• Steven Taetz - Late Bloom
• Youngtree & The Blooms - Youngtree and The Blooms

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award

• Al Qahwa - Weyn Allah
• De Lònga - Codex XXI
• So Long Seven - only elephants know her name
• Kuné - Universal Echoes
• Kyle McKearney - A Traveler's Lament

Single of the Year

• Delaney's Dad (Moira & Claire)
• Have You Seen My Sister? (Aruna and the Sirens + guests) 
• In 40 Years (Barbra Lica)
• Light Under The Door (Zaac Pick)
• Seeds (Julian Taylor)
• Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming (The Bombadils)
• When You Miss Someone (William Prince)
• Worth The Time (Big Little Lions)

Solo Artist of the Year

• Julian Taylor - Beyond The Reservoir
• Dave Gunning - The Same Storm
• Barbra Lica - Imposter Syndrome
• Julie Title - After the Sun
• William Prince - Stand in the Joy

Traditional Singer of the Year

• Mary Beth Carty - Crossing the Causeway
• François-Félix Roy - Peines perdues
• La Yeni - Yarrow Under the Moon
• Hannah Shira Naiman - The Wheels Won't Go
• Jackson Hollow - Roses

Vocal Group of the Year

• Musique à bouches - Il est grand temps
• Big Little Lions - AMPM
• The Bombadils - Dear Friend
• Twin Flames - Twin Flames Unplugged Live
• Basset - In the Clay

Young Performer(s) of the Year

• Abigale - Different Roads
• Mia Kelly - Garden Through the War
• Paige Penney - Game Changer
• La famille LeBlanc - Perdrais-je mon temps...Would I be losing my time...
• Fiddelium - Lit Up
• Irish Millie - The Trilogy

Links: CFMA, More CFMA Stories

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