Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations announced

Nova Scotia duo Cassie and Maggie and British Columbia singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing lead the Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMA) nomination with four nominations each.

Announced Thursday during an online stream, nominated artists represent nine provinces and one territory; and categories spotlighting not only traditional and contemporary folk music, but also world music, and several categories are dedicated to rising stars and innovation within the folk music.  The 2017 recipient of the Unsung Hero Award, which is awarded to a behind-the-scenes individual for their contributions, will be announced on October 12.

The awards are scheduled to be handed out November 18 and 19 at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa.  Tickets and wristbands are now on sale online at folkawards.ca/tickets/ and can also be purchased in person as of at The Record Centre (1099 Wellington St W) or Compact Music (785 & 206 Bank Street) in Ottawa.  Performers for the event will be announced at a later date.

The 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees are as follows:

Young Performer of the Year

  • Moscow Apartment Demo
  • Quin Etheridge-Pedden Embark
  • Keltie Monaghan Someone Tell Her
  • The Wolfe The Wolfe
  • John Muirhead Yesterday’s Smile

New/Emerging Artist of the Year

  • Hidden Roots Collective Come Up, Honey
  • Silent Winters Fireworks & a Small Brigade
  • Ken Yates Huntsville
  • Braden Gates Much Rather Be Sleeping
  • The Bombadils New Shoes

Oliver Schroer Pushing The Boundaries Award (celebrating innovation in creating new folk sounds)

  • Shreem Celtic Remixing
  • Danny Michel Khlebnikov
  • Mélisande [électrotrad] Les millésimes
  • Turkwaz Nazar
  • Tanya Tagaq Retribution

English Songwriter(s) of the Year

  • Oh Susanna A Girl In Teen City
  • Stephen Fearing Every Soul’s a Sailor
  • Scott Cook Further Down The Line
  • Ken Yates Huntsville
  • Amelia Curran Watershed

French Songwriter(s) of the Year

  • Patrice Michaud Almanach
  • Luc De Larochellière Autre monde
  • Vivianne Roy, Katrine Noël, Julie Aubé of Les Hay Babies La 4ième dimension (version longue)
  • Philippe B La grande nuit vidéo
  • Catherine Durand La pluie entre nous

Aboriginal Songwriter(s) of the Year nominees are

  • Lisa Muswagon Buffalo and Rabbits
  • Julian Taylor, Kinnie Starr, John Parente, Bill Bell of Julian Taylor Band Desert Star
  • Twin Flames Signal Fire
  • Cindy Paul The Flight
  • Desiree Dorion Tough Street

World Group of the Year

  • MAZ ID
  • Turkwaz Nazar
  • Beyond The Pale Ruckus
  • Twin Flames Signal Fire
  • Kobo Town Where the Galleon Sank 

World Solo Artist of the Year 

  • Louis Simão A Luz (The Light)
  • Farnaz Ohadi & The Mashregh Ensemble Bird Dance
  • Kelly Bado Entre deux
  • Briga Femme
  • The Mardom Movement Maneli Jamal

Traditional Album of the Year

  • Jayme Stone Folklife
  • André Brunet La grosse maison rouge
  • Còig Rove
  • Jenny Whiteley The Original Jenny Whiteley
  • Cassie and Maggie The Willow Collection

Traditional Singer of the Year

  • Dave Penny All Turned Around
  • Hannah Shira Naiman Know The Mountain
  • Mélisande Gélinas-Fauteux of Mélisande [électrotrad] Les millésimes
  • Maggie MacDonald of Cassie and Maggie The Willow Collection
  • Sarah Jane Scouten When the Bloom Falls From the Rose

Contemporary Album of the Year

  • The Fretless Bird’s Nest
  • Abigail Lapell Hide Not Hair
  • Tomato Tomato I Go Where You Go
  • Braden Gates Much Rather Be Sleeping
  • Leif Vollebekk Twin Solitude

Contemporary Singer of the Year

  • Oh Susanna A Girl In Teen City
  • Stephen Fearing Every Soul’s A Sailor
  • Abigail Lapell Hide Nor Hair
  • Lisa LeBlanc Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?
  • Coco Love Alcorn Wonderland

Instrumental Group of the Year

  • Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy A Celtic Family Christmas
  • The Fretless Bird’s Nest
  • Scott Macmillan & Colin Grant Good2go
  • Beyond The Pale Ruckus
  • MacIsaac and MacKenzie The Bay Street Sessions

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year

  • Don Ross A Million Brazilian Civilians
  • Roberto López Criollo Electric
  • Glenn Chatten Dragonfly
  • André Brunet La grosse maison rouge
  • Maneli Jamal The Mardom Movement

Vocal Group of the Year

  • The Big East Hungry Ghosts
  • The Bombadils New Shoes
  • Twin Flames Signal Fire
  • Coco Méliès The Riddles
  • Cassie and Maggie The Willow Collection

Ensemble of the Year

  • Mama’s Broke Count the Wicked
  • Silent Winters Fireworks & a Small Brigade
  • 100 mile house Hiraeth
  • The Jerry Cans Inuusiq
  • Cassie and Maggie The Willow Collection

Solo Artist of the Year

  • Stephen Fearing Every Soul’s A Sailor
  • Zachary Lucky Everywhere A Man Can Be
  • BEYRIES Landing
  • Leeroy Stagger Love Versus
  • Amelia Curran Watershed

Children’s Album of the Year

  • Jessie Farrell Chirp Chirp Happy
  • Fred Penner Hear The Music
  • Ginalina Home Is Family
  • Stella Swanson and the Rosie Joyfuls Pants on Backwards
  • Madame Diva et Micah le jeune voyageur Zing-E-Zing!

Producer(s) of the Year

  • Jim Bryson (for Oh Susanna) A Girl In Teen City
  • Stephen Fearing and David Travers-Smith (for Stephen Fearing) Every Soul’s A Sailor
  • Danny Michel and Rob Carli (for Danny Michel) Khlebnikov
  • Joel Plaskett (for Bill & Joel Plaskett) Solidarity
  • Amelia Curran and Chris Stringer (for Amelia Curran) Watershed