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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Please Support Local Charities

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Please Support Local Charities

From their website: Hamilton Food Share's purpose is to increase our community's capacity to reduce hunger. We do this by supplying much needed food supplies and short-term storage to food banks and hot meal programs. Additionally, our organization establishes community partnerships, donor relations and fundraising activities that support our food recovery operation.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.

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The Lowdown Dirty Mojos Take You Thru Salvation & Sin On 'Lucky 7'

Mini-Review: Lucky 7, the high-octane album from Hamilton's Lowdown Dirty Mojos is not your typical covers collection. These ain't the same songs you've heard a million times - they're revved up versions of  hidden gems from the likes of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mavis Staples, Huey Piano Smith, The Velvet Underground, Barbra Lynn as well as Ike & Tina Turner. These tracks'll take you on a wonderful, soulful journey through salvation and sin.

Guests: 

• The Shiny Lights (Patti Smith, Mimi Shaw, Buckshot Bebee) (background vocals)
• Dean Hunt (sax)
• Les Kadar (trumpet)

Available: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Their Live Shows (CD)

Links: The Lowdown Dirty Mojos, More Mojos Stories, Album above courtesy of Bandcamp, More Releases

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Poet's Day Videos by Tom Shea, Seryna, Aaliyah

Update of 2021 Post 

Links: Tom Shea, More Tom Shea Stories

Seryna

Aaliyah

Links: More Poet's Day Videos, Videos above courtesy of Hamilton Youth Poets

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Throwback Thursday - Mark McNeil: Greetings From Hamilton

Original Post: August 12, 2009

Updated Post: August 20, 2026

Update: This album is not available on streaming services and is now hard to find on CD.

Spectator reporter and musician, Mark McNeil recently released his third recording: Greetings from Hamilton.

The six songs on the EP showcase Mark's expressive voice, and his amazing talent with various instruments: guitar (acoustic, electric, Hawaiian, slide), bass, ukulele, banjo and mandolin.

The music is an incredible combination of folk, country, pop and many other styles. There is even a little reggae-esque feeling on the first track, Early Bird.

Lyrically, the album is a wonderful look at the many facets of Hamilton. Mark writes about his experiences in his adopted city (he's originally from Ottawa but has lived here for over 25 years).

"It's kind of a postcard to friends from long ago - to say I'm having a good time and I don't think I'll be moving back to Ottawa any time soon." Mark wrote in the the liner notes.

Joining in his celebration of Hamilton are a few local players such as Steve Sinnicks, Aaron Goldstein, Ray Lyell, Troy Dowding, and more. The disc is produced by Mark and Dan Medakovic and Engineered by Dan Medakovic and Rob Lamothe

Links: Mark McNeil, More Mark McNeil stories, Video above courtesy of Mark McNeil, More Releases

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Support Local Charities

From their website: Food for Life holds a unique niche among Canadian food relief charities in that we focus on redistributing fresh, nutritious food as opposed to traditional food bank fare such as canned goods. Our clients tell us that they are often not able to afford fresh food and that having access to this healthy food allows them to focus on obtaining other life essentials as they work towards no longer relying on our services.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.

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Bill Durst Wins 2026 Mel Brown Award

Stratford Bluesman Bill Durst the 2026 winner of the Mel Brown Blues Award. It is named in honour of the late, legendary Kitchener musician.

From the Kitchener Blues Festival Facebook page:

MAY 12TH 2021 – MEL BROWN BLUES AWARD

Bill Durst, our 2026 winner of the Mel Brown Award, and always an audience favourite, is a Canadian Blues- Rock- Roots guitarist, singer, songwriter, entertainer who has written and recorded over 125 songs on 12 albums with 7 national radio chart hits. Bill has opened for or shared the stage with Rush, Aerosmith, BTO, Yardbirds, John Mayall, Savoy Brown, Bobby Rush, Little Feat, George Thorogood, Bad Company, Loverboy, Edgar Winter Group, Jeff Healey, Burton Cummings, Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, Jack de Keyser, April Wine, L.A. Guns, David Wilcox, Bob Seger, Sly And The Family Stone and more. Mr. Durst has toured across North America and in Europe and tours extensively in Canada.

As a kid growing up in Wingham and then London, Ontario (which is halfway between Toronto and Detroit), Bill was heavily influenced by Motown, R&B, Toronto Psychedelic Soul music as well as the British Blues Invasion and Jimi Hendrix.

Bill’s entrance on the national/international stage was with his classic rock band Thundermug formed from London R&B groups in 1969. By the summer of 1972 the band had a number one hit and a fan following in Eastern Canada. The band went on to record a total of 5 albums, (3 albums in the early/mid 1970s and two CDs in the mid 1990s) releasing records in the US and Europe. Bill put out his first two solo releases in the mid eighties but it wasn’t until the early 2000s that Durst got some real career momentum. In 2004 he proclaimed his intention to start up a “little, fuzzy, psychedelic blues band” and since then Bill and his co-writer Joe DeAngelis have produced 5 full length CDs: The Wharncliffe Sessions (’05), The Great Willy Mammoth (’09), Bill Durst Live (‘12) and Hard And Heavy (’13) Good Good Lovin ('15).

Links: Bill Durst, More Bill Durst Stories, Video above courtesy of Bill Durst - Topic

Previous Years' Winners

• 2025: Bruce Hall (Grand River Blues Society)
• 2024: Rob Barkshire (Kitchener Blues Festival) & Matt Minglewood
• 2023: Donnie Walsh (Downchild)
• 2022: David Wilcox

More Mel Brown Award Stories

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Expressive Vocals & Great Songwriting on Dunlop Brothers Album

Mini-Review: Expressive vocals and great songwriting permeate the latest relase from Hamilton's Dunlop Brothers. Vol. 2 picks up where they left off on their splendid debut. It's roots meets alternative wrapped in striking production.

Available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music

Personnel

• Matt Dunlop - Guitars, Vocals
• Justin Dunlop - Vocals, Bass, Guitars, Mandolin, Keyboard
• Alan Zemaitis - Keyboards, Organ, Wurlitzer, Rhodes & Bass Rhodes
• Caleb Moroz - Drums & Percussion
• Mike Scime - Drums
• Jill Harris - Vocals

Links: Dunlop Brothers, More Dunlop Brothers Stories, Album above courtesy of Bandcamp

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Throwback Thursday - Festival of Friends 2009

From August 7, 2009 Hamilton Spectator

Original Posts: August 9, 10, 14, 2009

Merged Post: August 13, 2026

Here's a look at the 2009 Festival of Friends.

Click here to read the August 6 Hamilton Spectator story

August 8, 2009

Lovers & Other Strangers Workshop

• Lowest Lanes (ft Mark McNeil) - Jolene
• Alfie Smith - Buckshot Blues
• Carly-Jo - Booty Call
• Carly Jo & Friends - The Truth No. 2

Good Lovin' Gone Bad Workshop

• Jace Martin
• Steven Elmo Murphy Band
• Steve Sinnicks
• Top Dead Centre
• Everyone - Some Kinda Wonderful

Guinness Book of World Records Attempt

Click pictures to make them larger

Guitars were raised high after a performance of Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water at the Festival of Friends on August 8, 2009. Hamilton musician Christopher Charles and his band were joined by a legion of guitarists scattered across Gage Park.

This was an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for most guitars in a jam performance.

According to the Spectator, the record wasn't broken (we were 77 short) but we did beat Toronto's recent attempt)

Below is a video of the event. We apologize for the extreme close-ups (the camera was stuck on zoom)

Links: Deep Purple, More Deep Purple Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Hamilton Blues Lovers

August 9, 2009 

Memories of Jackie Washington Workshop

• Alfie Smith - God Bless the Child
• Brenda Lewis - Honeysuckle Rose
• Donna Creighton - Sweet Cheeks
• Paul Langille - Smile
• Joan Crabtree - Put Me First
• Brian Blain - St. James Infirmary
• Dave Kidney - Jackie Washington

Leon Redbone Videos From mumblemod

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Please Support Local Charities

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Please Support Local Charities

From their website: Our objective is to accumulate capital, earn investment income and use this income to make charitable donations in Norfolk County.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.

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