18th Edition of the CFMA closes out their annual celebration with recipients announced during the second night of Awards Concerts in Vancouver
The second round of Canadian Folk Music Awards (#CFMA2023) was presented during the final evening of celebrations held this year at Mel Lehan Hall, at St James Community Square in Vancouver, British Columbia. The 18th edition of the event was hosted by Chelsey June of Twin Flames and Benoit Bourque in a bilingual evening filled with outstanding music, including performances by Abigail Lapell, Wesli, Mama’s Broke. Digging Roots, John Wort Hannam with T. Buckley. Ten awards, including the Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award, were handed out throughout the evening.
Artists that received multiple awards over the two Awards evenings were Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, awarded Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année and Traditional Album of the Year / Album traditionnel de l’année for Hurricane Clarice; John Wort Hannam awarded Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année and Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année for Long Haul; and The Sultans of String album, Sanctuary, garnered awards for Global Roots Album of the Year / Album Traditions du Monde de L’année and Producer of the Year / Réalisateur de l’année award for Chris McKhool & John ‘Beetle’ Bailey.
Awards Presented:
The award for Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année was presented to Charlottetown fiddler Gordie Crazylegs MacKeeman, for his album Folk For Little Folk Volume 1.
Toronto Bluegrass band, The Slocan Ramblers, picked up the award for Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année. Their latest album is Up the Hill and Through the Fog,
The Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroer went to Oktoécho. Their album, Transcestral, brings together artists, singers, and poets from different backgrounds: six Aboriginal communities (Ojibwe, Innu, Metis, Inuit, Nakoda, Dene) and Sufis are represented. The award recognizes a solo artist, duo, or group taking creative risks to create folk-based music that is innovative, original, and imaginative.
Producer of the Year / Réalisateur de l’année award recipients are Chris McKhool & John ‘Beetle’ Bailey, for their work on Sanctuary by Sultans of String.
Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année for 2023 is Lethbridge AB-based singer and musical storyteller John Wort Hannam (Long Haul), his second CFMA of the weekend.
The Sultans of String album, Sanctuary, won the Global Roots Album of the Year / Album Traditions du Monde de L’année.
The recipient of the New/Emerging Artist of the Year / Artiste de la relève de l’année 2023 is Montreal’s RedFox, who’s debut album is Stranger Love.
The Edmonton band, The McDades, was awarded for Vocal Group of the Year / Groupe vocal de l’année. Their album, The Empress, showcases the band’s eclectic Americana, Celtic, Folk style.
Traditional Singer of the Year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année was awarded to Celtic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lizzy Hoyt. Her album, The Parting Glass, showcases her traditional Celtic style.
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves’ album, Hurricane Clarice, won the duo its second CFMA this year for Traditional Album of the Year / Album traditionnel de l’année award, their second of the awards weekend.
The 2024 CFMA celebrations will be held in Newfoundland/Labrador!
Established by Canada’s burgeoning and internationally recognized folk music community, the Canadian Folk Music Awards is currently in its 18th year. For more information, visit folkawards.ca.
The CFMAs gratefully acknowledge the financial funding support of FACTOR with support from Canada’s private radio broadcasters and the Government of Canada.
The CFMAs also wish to thank and acknowledge all of our funders: Creative BC, Slaight Music, The Oliver Schroer Estate (Peter Coffman), Fogarty’s Cove Music, Music PEI, Edmonton Folk Music Festival, SOCAN, SOCAN Foundation, Wavelength Media, Alliance nationale de l’industrie musicale, Borealis Records, Calgary Folk Club, Fish Creek Concerts, Hubcast Media, One Guitar, One Hundred Hands, True North Records / Stony Plain Records, and Upper Canada FolkFest.