Rob Lutes (Come Around) and Allison Russell (Outside Child) top the list of nominees for the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards with four nods each, while Cedric Dind-Lavoie, Whitehorse, The Hello Darlins, Rosier, Rick Fines, and Polky snagged three nominations each. They are among the 105 nominees from throughout Canada vying for awards in 19 categories to be presented in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, April 1-3, 2022.

Rob Lutes (Photo: James St. Laurent)

Rob Lutes (Photo: James St. Laurent)

Rob Lutes is a Montreal-based acoustic roots, blues, folk and Americana singer-songwriter and masterful fingerstyle guitarist who was previously named Contemporary Singer of the Year in the 2018 CFMAs. He is among the current nominees for Contemporary Album of the Year (Come Around), Contemporary Singer of the Year, English Songwriter of the Year, and, with Rob MacDonald, Producer(s) of the Year.

His latest album, Come Around, was recorded last fall and features 11 original songs – largely meditations on life and love — plus a cover of the traditional blues classic “In My Time of Dyin’.” Lutes co-produced the album with longtime collaborator Rob MacDonald – with whom he is also in a duo and part of the roots ensemble Sussex. Featuring backing vocals by Annabelle Chvostek, Come Around is Lutes’ eighth studio release since 2000. His previous recording, 2017’s Walk in the Dark, was named Album of the Year by Blues and Roots Radio, while 2013’s The Bravest Birds topped the EuroAmericana Charts and spent seven months in the Roots Music Report Top 10. Other artists have recorded several of Lutes’ songs.

Here’s a link to enjoy a video of Lutes performing “Knives,” the opening track on Come Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu9m7gOQrY4

Allison Russell debut solo CDAllison Russell is a soulful Nashville-based, Montreal-born Scottish Grenadian Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and activist who is also a co-founder of Our Native Daughters and Birds of Chicago and was part of Po’ Girl. She is in the running for Contemporary Album of the Year, English Songwriter of the Year, New/Emerging Artist of the Year, and the Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award in recognition of her debut solo album, Outside Child.

Wrought with emotion, its 11 original songs are “about resilience and survival, transcendence and the redemptive power of art, community, connection, and chosen family,” says Russell, who faced abuse and trauma during her youth that music has helped her to overcome. She showcased her talents and also served as the weekend closing curator at the 63rd annual Newport Folk Festival this summer.

Here’s a link to view the official video for Russell’s song “Nightflyer,” the first single off Outside Child: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNJgwj8d9eo

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. This year’s nominees span the country from Whitehorse, Yukon to Cambellton, New Brunswick, and from Banff, Alberta to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were chosen for each category via two-stage jury process. More than 100 jurors, locatedCFMA-LOGO-REDacross Canada and representing all of its official provinces, territories and languages determine the recipients in each category.

A complete list of 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at folkawards.ca.

Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année

Campfire Time! by/par Peter Lenton aka Peter Puffin’s Whale Tales (AB)
Falling in Africa by/par Garth Prince (AB)
Believe in Your Magic by/par Penny Pom Pom (BC)
Heart Parade by/par Splash’N Boots (ON)
Think About the Wild by/par Remy Rodden (YT)

Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année

XO, 1945 by/par Ryland Moranz (AB)
All This Time Running by/par Craig Cardiff (ON)
Solar Powered Too by/par Rick Fines (ON)
Voyageur In Song by/par David Leask (ON)
Outside Child by/par Allison Russell (QC)
À l’ouest du réel by/par Reney Ray (QC)
Come Around by/par Rob Lutes (QC)
Encounter by/par BEYRIES (QC)

Contemporary Singer of the Year / Chanteur contemporain de l’année

• Kelly Bado for/pour Hey Terre (MB)
• Terra Spencer for/pour Chasing Rabbits (NS)
• Craig Cardiff for/pour All This Time Running (ON)
• Denise Flack for/pour Good Water (ON)
• Rob Lutes for/pour Come Around (QC)

English Songwriter(s) / Auteur compositeur(s) anglophone

• Scott Cook for/pour Tangle of Souls (AB)
• Noah Reid for/pour Gemini (ON)
• Rick Fines for/pour Solar Powered Too (ON)
• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (QC)
• Ian Tamblyn for/pour A Longing for Innocence (QC)
• Rob Lutes for/pour Come Around (QC)

Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année

• The Hello Darlins for/pour Go By Feel (AB)
• The Fugitives for/pour Trench Songs (BC)
• Elliott BROOD for/pour Keeper (ON)
• OKAN for/pour Espiral (ON)
• Whitehorse for/pour Modern Love (ON)

French Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur-compositeur(s) francophone de l’année

• Émilie Landry for/pour Arroser les fleurs (NB)
• Anne-Sophie Doré-Coulombe for/pour Nos maisons (QC)
• Flavie Léger-Roy for/pour Les trous dans les coeurs (QC)
• Guillaume Beaulac for/pour Guillaume Beaulac (QC)
• Reney Ray for/pour À l’ouest du réel (QC)

Global Roots Album of the Year/ Album traditions du monde de l’année
(Note: This replaces the World Album of the Year.)

El Currucha by/par Eliana Cuevas (feat. Aquiles Báez) (ON)
Espiral by/par OKAN (ON)
Songs From Home by/par Polky (ON)
VelkomBak by/par Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra (QC)
Wutiko by/par Elage Diouf (QC)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) autochtone de l’année

• Phyllis Sinclair for/pour Ghost Bones (AB)
• Morgan Toney for/pour First Flight (NS)
• David Laronde for/pour I Know I Can Fly (ON)
• Chelsey June & Jaaji for/pour Omen (QC)
• Laura Niquay for/pour Waska Matisiwin (QC)

Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année

• Amber & Zebulun for/pour South of North, East of West (ON)
• Shane Cook & The Woodchippers for/pour Be Here for a While (ON)
• Frank Evans & Ben Plotnick for/pour Madison Archives (ON)
• Bùmarang for/pour Echo Land (QC)
• Oktopus for/pour Créature (QC)

Instrumental Solo artist of the Year / Instrumentiste solo de l’année

• Adam Young for/pour Yearbook (NS)
• Maneli Jamal for/pour Soul Odyssey (ON)
• Cédric Dind-Lavoie for/pour Archives (QC)
• Dave Clarke for/pour The Healing Garden (QC)
• Olivier Demers for/pour À l’envers d’un monde (QC)

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year / Artiste(s) de la relève de l’année

• The Hello Darlins for/pour Go By Feel (AB)
• Oxlip for/pour Your Mother Was A Peacock (BC)
• Noah Reid for/pour Gemini (ON)
• Polky for/pour Songs From Home (ON)
• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (QC)
• David Lafleche for/pour Everyday Son (QC)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroder

• Decoration Day for/pour Makeshift Future (ON)
• Speaker Face for/pour Crescent (ON)
• Briga for/pour Territoire (QC)
• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (QC)
• Cédric Dind-Lavoie for/pour Archives (QC)
• Rosier for/pour Légèrement (QC)

Producer(s) of the Year / Réalisateur(s) de l’année

• David Travers-Smith, Fernando Rosa, Annabelle Chvostek for/pour String of Pearls (ON)
• Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland for/pour Modern Love (ON)
• Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Corne de brume for/pour Archives (QC)
• Quinn Bachand for/pour Légèrement (QC)
• Rob Lutes, Rob MacDonald for/pour Come Around (QC)

Single of the Year / Monoplage de l’année

• Still Waters by/par The Hello Darlins (feat. Matt Andersen) (AB)
Never Mind The Weather by/par Big Little Lions (BC)
Gospel First Nation by/par William Prince (MB)
Everything Reminds Me by/par The Deep Dark Woods (NS)
Yellow Snow by/par Andrea Bettger (NT)
Elmira (Remix) by/par The East Pointers (feat. Lonely Kid) (PEI)
Pontoise by/par Rosier (QC)
The River by/par Loryn Taggart (QC)

Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année

• Dana Sipos for/pour The Astral Plane (BC)
• William Prince for/pour Gospel First Nation (MB)
• Laura Smith for/pour As Long As I’m Dreaming (NS)
• Maneli Jamal for/pour Soul Odyssey (ON)
• Rick Fines for/pour Solar Powered Too (ON)
• Alicia Toner for/pour Joan (PEI)

Traditional Album of the Year / Album traditionnel de l’année

Kitchen Days by/par Braden Gates (AB)
Alive by/par Fred Eaglesmith & Tif Ginn (ON)
Be Here for a While by/par Shane Cook & The Woodchippers (ON)
Le bonhomme Sept Heures / The Bonesetter by/par Grosse Isle (QC)
Les sessions du Vices & Versa – 15th Anniversary by/par David Boulanger (QC)

Traditional Singer of the Year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année

• Ray Schmidt for/pour Sold Out at the Ironwood (AB)
• Pat Chessell for/pour The Road Not Taken (BC)
• Ewelina Ferenc for/pour Songs From Home (ON)
• Nicolas Boulerice for/pour Maison de pierre – Confiné au voyages (QC)
• Sophie Lavoie for/pour Le bonhomme Sept Heures / The Bonesetter (QC)

Vocal Group of the Year / Groupe vocal de l’année

• The Fugitives for/pour Trench Songs (BC)
• The Gilberts for/pour Tell Me (NS)
• Whitehorse for/pour Modern Love (ON)
• Les Bouches Bées for/pour Les trous dans les coeurs (QC)
• Twin Flames for/pour Omen (QC)

Young Performer(s) of the Year / Jeune artiste(s) de l’année

• Paige Penney for/pour When All is Said and Done (NL)
• Isabella Samson for/pour If It’s Not Forever (NS)
• Hannah Thomas for/pour Christmas Don’t Be Late (ON)
• Irish Millie for/pour Thirteen (ON)
• The Broken Bridges for/pour The Porch Sessions (ON)