The 10th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards were presented in Ottawa on Saturday evening, Nov. 29. Winners for 2014 were named in 19 categories, while recipients also were honored with special Innovator and Unsung Hero awards during a bilingual gala and reception at the Bronson Centre.
The always entertaining, genial and witty Quebecois folk artist Benoit Bourque and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)’s Shelagh Rogers co-hosted the gala event that featured performances by Finest Kind, Lennie Gallant (who was named Solo Artist of the Year), The Good Lovelies, Lynn Miles, and Laura Smith. De Temps Antan closed out the evening with some rousing Quebecois traditional music. The event marked the culmination of an awards weekend that began on Nov. 27 and included showcases and concerts by nominees as well as the premiere screening of a CFMA 10th anniversary film.
The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music — celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. As previously reported by AcousticMusicScene.com, 68 artists and groups from nine provinces and one territory in Canada were announced as nominees during a Sept. 24 news conference at Folk Music Ontario’s Ottawa headquarters.
Although 18-year old Quinn Bachand and his Victoria, British Columbia-based group Brishen were the top nominees vying for awards, with a combined five nominations, they were shut out. Fellow BC-based instrumental artists The Fretless and vocal group The High Bar Gang also received multiple nominations. The Fretless was named Ensemble of the Year, while The High Bar Gang took Vocal Group of the Year honors. Shari Ulrich, a member of The High Bar Gang, also was named English Songwriter of the Year for Everywhere I Go, while Julianne Aube, Vivianne Roy and Katrine Noel shared French Songwriter of the Year honors for Mon Homesick Heart by Les Hey Babies, and Ottawa’s Amanda Rheaume and John MacDonald won the award for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year for Rheaume’s Keep A Fire. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia-based Coig received the Traditional Album of the Year award for Five. Ontario’s The Strumbellas’ We Still Move On Dance Floors was named Contemporary Album of the Year – having previously won the Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year.
The Unsung Hero Award, recognizing exceptional contributions to the promotion, preservation and presentation of Canadian folk, roots and world music, was presented to Ottawa’s Harvey Glatt. Singer-songwriter and friend Ian Tamblyn paid warm tribute to him. Folk Music Canada’s Innovator Award went to Paul Symes, owner of the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec, in recognition of the “tenacity, vision and innovation” needed to establish a venue outside of the city. Symes’ daughter accepted the award on his behalf.
A complete list of 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award winners follows. More information on the awards may be found at www.folkawards.ca.
Traditional Album of the Year:
Còig for Five
Contemporary Album of the Year:
The Strumbellas for We Still Move on Dance Floors
Children’s Album of the Year:
Fred Penner for Where In The World
Traditional Singer of the Year:
Mélisande for Les metamorphoses by Mélisande (électrotrad)
Contemporary Singer of the Year:
Matt Anderson for Weightless
Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year:
Jayme Stone for The Other Side of the Air
Instrumental Group of the Year:
The Andrew Collins Trio for A Play On Words
English Songwriter of the Year:
Shari Ulrich for Everywhere I Go
French Songwriter of the Year:
Julie Aubé, Vivianne Roy, Katrine Noël for Mon Homesick Heart by Les Hay
Babies
Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year:
Amanda Rheaume and John MacDonald for Keep A Fire by Amanda Rheaume
Vocal Group of the Year:
The High Bar Gang for Lost and Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion
Ensemble of the Year:
The Fretless for The Fretless
Solo Artist of the Year:
Lennie Gallant for Live Acoustic at The Carleton
World Solo Artist of the Year:
Quique Escamilla for 500 Years of Night
World Group of the Year:
Moustafa Kouyaté & Romain Malagnoux for Les frontières imaginaires
New/Emerging Artist of the Year:
The Bros. Landreth for Let It Lie
The Oliver Schroer Pushing The Boundaries Award:
Tanya Tagaq for Animism
Producer of the Year:
Tom Terrell and Karl Falkenham for City Ghosts by The Modern Grass
Young Performer of the Year:
Kacy & Clayton for The Day Is Past & Gone
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