Nominations for the 2026 Ontario Folk Music Awards

From the FolkCanada.com news release:

Folk Canada Announces 2026 Ontario Folk Music Award Nominees

The 32nd annual Ontario Folk Music Awards will take place at The Studio in Hamilton, Ontario on Wednesday, October 14th during the annual Folk Canada Conference.

The event will feature performances by a select number of nominated artists and special guests, and is open to all Folk Canada Conference attendees. Still to be announced are the Estelle Klein Award recipients, the Laureate for the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award and Culture in Climate Award.

Established in 1987 and now in its 39th year, the Folk Canada Conference (previously the Folk Music Ontario Conference and Ontario Council of Folk Festivals) will take place October 14-18 in Hamilton, Ontario and welcomes attendees from across the country to the event. To learn more, Folk Canada invites interested parties to visit their website and sign up for their newsletter.

“The Ontario Folk Music Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the incredible talent and creativity found across the province,” says Rosalyn Dennett, Executive Director of Folk Canada. “We’re proud to recognize this year’s nominees and bring the folk community together in Hamilton to celebrate their work.” Rosalyn Dennett is available for interviews, and select artists are available for interviews and performances in advance of the event.

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

Album of the Year

• Honesty by The Lifers (Guelph)
  
  
  
  Links: The Lifers, More Lifers Stories, Video above courtesy of The Lifers
  
  
• The Truth We Hold by Amanda Rheaume
• Not Defeated by Angelique Francis Band
• Mi Pequeña by Eliana Cuevas
• Immersed by Justin Gray
• Sofreh Tisch by Ladom Ensemble
• Reasons To Stay by Tanika Charles

Music Video of the Year

• “One More Dance Around The Sun” by Great Lake Swimmers
  
  
  
  Links: Great Lake Swimmers, More GLS Stories, Video above courtesy of  GreatLakeSwimmers
  
  
• “Without You” by Aysanabee
• “Been Done” by Frank Mighty
• “Kaku “Grandma’” by Jonathan Nvita
• “Exploits Island” by Kate Weekes
• “Vulgar Bulgar” by Medusa Quartet
• “Fruta Prohibida” by Payadora

Performing Artist of the Year

• Logan Staats (Brantford)
  
  
  
  Links: Logan Staats, More Logan Staats Stories, Video above courtesy of Logan Staats
  
  
• The Barrel Boys
• Julian Taylor
• Mimi O’Bonsawin
• OK Naledi
• Schmaltz & Pepper

Recording Artist of the Year

• Great Lake Swimmers (Wainfleet)
• Aysanabee
• John Muirhead
• Kazdoura
• The Pairs
• summersets

Song of the Year

• “Unforgettable” by Amanda Rheaume
• “Inevitable” by Emma Lamontagne
• “WIHOGORA” by Empress Nyiringango
• “Oh, Little One” by Jory Nash
• “Patron Saint” by Kate Greenland
• “Until the Devil’s Paid” by Michael Darcy & The Atlantic Tramps
• “Quit My Habit” by Rebekah Hawker
• “Temporary” by Vicki Brittle

More Ontario Folk Music Awards Stories

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2026 Canadian Grammy Winners + Canadian Performances

The Grammy Awards were held on February 1, 2026 and a few Canadians brought home the hardware!

Click here for the CBC story.

Click below to view the main ceremony

Links: Grammy, More Grammy Stories, Video above courtesy of Recording Academy / GRAMMYs

Below is a complete list of Canadian winners. Click here for the complete list of nominees & winners.

• Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Sinners, (Peter Dreimanis from July Talk performs on Pick Poor Robin Clean) - View acceptance speech
  
  
  
  Links: Peter Dreimanis, More July Talk Stories, Video above courtesy of Dylan Wrona
  
  
• Best Dance Pop Recording: Lady Gaga, Abracadabra (Cirkut for production, Serban Ghenea for mixing and engineering) - View acceptance speech
  
  
  
  Links: Lady Gaga, Video above courtesy of Lady Gaga
  
  
• Best Historical Album: Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) - View acceptance speech
  
  
  
  Links: Joni Mitchell, More Joni Mitchell Stories, Playlist courtesy of Bliskitunhe
  
  
• Best Immersive Audio Album: Justin Gray, Immersed (Drew Jurecka for production) - View acceptance speech
  
  
  
  Links: Justin Gray, More Justin Gray Stories, Playlist above courtesy of Justin Gray - Topic
  
  
• Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Cirkut (Lady Gaga, Abracadabra, Mayhem and Disease, Coco Jones, AEOMG; Rosé and Bruno Mars Apt.; The Weeknd, Big Sleep and Red Terror; Ed Sheeran, A Little More) - View acceptance speech

Canadian Performances at the Ceremony

Links: Spiritbox, More Spiritbox Videos, Video above courtesy of Recording Academy / GRAMMYs

Links: Justin Bieber, More Justin Bieber Stories, Video above courtesy of Justin phiter

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2026 Canadian Grammy Awards Nominations

Canadian made a great showing in the 2026 Grammy Award nomination list.

Below is a complete list of Canadian nominees.

Click here for the full list of all nominations.

Album of the Year:

• Justin Bieber, Swag (Bieber, Tobias Jesso Jr. for songwriting)
• Lady Gaga, Mayhem (Cirkut for production)
• Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend (Serban Ghenea for mixing and engineering)

Best Alternative Music Album:

• Bon Iver, SABLE, fABLE (Shawn Everett for mixing)

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:

• Sinners, (Peter Dreimanis from July Talk performs on Pick Poor Robin Clean)
• F1 the Album (Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching)
  
  
  
  Links: Tate McRae, More Tate McRae Stories, Video above courtesy of Tate McRae

Best Contemporary Country Album:

• Tyler Childers, Snipe Hunter (Shawn Everett for mixing)

Best Country Solo Performance:

• Tyler Childers, Nose on the Grindstone (Shawn Everett for mixing)

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

• Kaytranada, Space Invader

Best Dance Pop Recording: 

• Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie)
• Lady Gaga, Abracadabra (Cirkut for production, Serban Ghenea for mixing and engineering) 

Best Historical Album:

• Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) 
  
  
  
  Links: Joni Mitchell, More Joni Mitchell Stories, Playlist courtesy of Bliskitunhe

Best Immersive Audio Album:

• Justin Gray, Immersed (Drew Jurecka for production)

Best Melodic Rap Performance: 

• PartyNextDoor and Drake, Somebody Loves Me

Best Metal Performance:

• Spiritbox, Soft Spine

Best Opera Recording: 

• Tesori: Grounded, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus and George Brant (Yannick Nézet-Séguin for conducting, Emily D’Angelo for production)
• Kouyoumdjian: Adoration, Silvana Quartet and the Choir Of Trinity Wall Street (Miriam Khalil for production) 

Best Orchestral Performance:

• Still & Bonds, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

Best Pop Solo Performance: 

• Justin Bieber, Daisies

Best Pop Vocal Album:

• Justin Bieber, Swag 

Best R&B Performance: 

• Justin Bieber, Yukon

Best Remixed Recording:

• Mariah Carey and Kaytranada, Don’t Forget About Us

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

• Laila Biali, Wintersongs
  
  
  
  Links: Video above courtesy of Laila Biali

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: 

• Cirkut (Lady Gaga, Abracadabra, Mayhem and Disease, Coco Jones, AEOMG; Rosé and Bruno Mars Apt.; The Weeknd, Big Sleep and Red Terror; Ed Sheeran, A Little More)

Record of the Year:

• Lady Gaga, Abracadabra (Cirkut for production, Serban Ghenea for mixing and engineering)
• Rosé and Bruno Mars Apt (Cirkut for production)
• Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild (Serban Ghenea for mixing and engineering)

Songwriter of the Year:

• Tobias Jesso Jr. (Justin Bieber: Daisies, Go Baby, Walking Away / Dijon: Another Baby, Baby / Bon Iver: From / Miley Cyrus: Golden Burning Sun / Olivia Dean: Man I Need / Haim: Relationships) 

Links: Grammy, More Grammy Stories

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