Winners of the 2026 Ontario Folk Music Awards

The Ontario Folk Music Awards were handed out at The Studio in Hamilton, Ontario on Wednesday, October 14th during the annual Folk Canada Conference. 

Highlights from local area artists

• Brantford's Logan Staats earned Performing Artist of the Year & the Culture in Climate Award and also perfomed.
• Waterdown's own Terra Lightfoot did an amazing job hosting the night too.
• Hamilton songstress Treasa Leveasseur led a musical tribute to Coco Love Alcorn when she earned the Estelle Klein Community Builder Award.
• The final jam was a cover of Shine from Hamilton legends Junkhouse.

Click here for the Roots Music Canada story.

Below is a complete list of winners. 

• Performing Artist of the Year: Logan Staats (Brantford)
• Culture in Climate Award: Logan Staats (Brantford)
• Album of the Year: Reasons To Stay by Tanika Charles
• Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award: Jonathan Nvita
• Estelle Klein Community Builder Award: Coco Love Acorn
• Estelle Klein Lifetime Achievement Award: Chris White
• Music Video of the Year: “Been Done” by Frank Mighty
• Recording Artist of the Year: Aysanabee
• Song of the Year: “Quit My Habit” by Rebekah Hawker

More Ontario Folk Music Awards Stories

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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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2025 Ontario Folk Music Awards Winners Including Niagara's Evan Rotella

The 2025 Ontario Folk Music Awards were handed out on October 15, 2025 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Here's a complete list of winners. Local artists are bolded.

• Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award: Evan Rotella (Niagara) - MaryAnne
  
  
  
  Links: Evan Rotella, More Evan Rotella Stories, Video above courtesy of Evan Rotella Music
  
  
• Album of the Year:  Abigail Lapell - Anniversary
• Culture and Climate Award: Steven Dagenais
• Estelle Klein Community Builder Award: John and Michelle Law
• Estelle Klein Lifetime Achievement Award: Al Rankin
• Music Video of the Year: Kazdoura - Khayal
  
  
  
  Links: Kazdoura, Video above courtesy of Kazdoura
  
  
• Recording Artist of the Year: Julian Taylor
• Song of the Year: Savannah Shea - Best Remembered
  
  
  
  Links: Savannah Shea, Video above courtesy of  Savannah Shea - Topic

Links: Ontario Folk Music Awards, More OFMA Stories

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Winners of the 2024 Ontario Folk Music Awards Including Guelph's Samir Baijal

The 2024 Ontario Folk Music Awards were handed out at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on Sunday, October 6, 2024 following the Folk Music Ontario Conference. 

Below is a complete list of winners

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Samir Baijal (Hillside Festival)
• Album of the Year: Payadora Tango Ensemble featuring Lenka Lichtenberg and Aviva Chernick​ - "Silent Tears, The Last Yiddish Tango"
• Community Builder Award: Pat O’Gorman and Julie Schryer
• Performing Artist of the Year: The Angelique Francis Band
• Song of the Year:  “Annie’s Daughter” - The Pairs (written by Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, Hillary Watson)
• Recording Artist of the Year: Good Lovelies
• Songwriting Award: Leah Holtom
• Taylor Mitchell Bursary: All of the Developing Artist Program participants at this year’s Folk Music Ontario conference

A number of area artist were showcased at the conference including:

• Will Gillespie
• Janice Jo Lee
• Spencer Mackenzie
• Minuscule
• Kristin Nicholls
• Sultans of String
  

Links: Will Gillespie, More Will Gillespie Stories, Video above courtesy of Will Gillespie

Links: Saltwater Hank, Video above courtesy of Richard Garvey

Links: Ontario Folk Music Awards, More OFMA Stories 

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2024 Ontario Folk Music Award Nominees, Including Local Arists

From the press release: 

Folk Music Ontario Announces the 2024 Ontario Folk Music Award Nominees!

The 30th annual Ontario Folk Music Awards will take place in Mississauga, Ontario on Sunday, October 6, 2024 following the Folk Music Ontario Conference.

Mississauga, ON - August 14 2024 - In recognition of the outstanding work and contributions of Folk artists and musicians from across the province of Ontario, Folk Music Ontario (FMO) is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2024 Ontario Folk Music Awards (formerly the 'Songs from the Heart Awards'). Now celebrating its 30th year, the annual award ceremony will take place as the final event of the Folk Music Ontario Conference at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on Sunday, October 6, 2024 and will feature performances by a select number of nominated artists and special guests.

Click here to purchase tickets

Copyright © 2024 Folk Music Ontario, All rights reserved.

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

Performing Artist of the Year

• Sultans of String (members from Burlington)
  
  
  
  Links: Sultans of String, More Sultans of String Stories, Video above courtesy of Sultans of String
  
  
• Payadora Tango Ensemble featuring Lenka Lichtenberg and Aviva Chernick
• Mimi O'Bonsawin
• The Angelique Francis Band
• OKAN
• Adrian Sutherland
• Jessica Pearson and the East Wind

Recording Artist of the Year

• Great Lake Swimmers (Wainfleet)
  
  
  
  Links: Great Lake Swimmers, More GLS Stories, Video above courtesy of GreatLakeSwimmers
  
  
• Logan Staats (Brantford)
  
  
  
  Links: Logan Staats, More Logan Staats Stories, Video above courtesy of L Staats
  
  
• Good Lovelies
• The Pairs
• Sarah Segal-Lazar
• OKAN
• Tarek Ghriri

Song of the Year

• “Hey Boy” - Mike Leon (Hamilton) (co-written by Matthie Leon)
  
  
  
  Links: Mike Leon, Video above courtesy of Mike Leon
  
  
• “I Called It Love” - David Francey (co-written by Terry Tufts - Port Colbourne)
• “Georgia Moon” - Julian Taylor
• “Le Reina de Norte” - OKAN (written by Elizabeth Rodriguez, Magdelys Savigne)
• “christian scientist” - summersets (written by Kalle Mattson)
• “Annie’s Daughter” - The Pairs (written by Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, Hillary Watson)

Album of the Year

• Steven Taetz​ - "Late Bloom" (ft Hamilton's Jill Barber & Adrean Farrugia)
• Good Lovelies​ - "We Will Never Be The Same"
• David Francey​ - "The Breath Between"
• Payadora Tango Ensemble featuring Lenka Lichtenberg and Aviva Chernick​ - "Silent Tears, The Last Yiddish Tango"
• Julian Taylor​ - "Anthology Vol 1"
• Aysanabee​ - "Here and Now"
• Rose-Erin Stokes​ - "When The Sun Goes Away"

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