Applications are being accepted through March 22 in the 19th annual Songwriter Serenade contest. From among all entries received, 15 songwriters will be invited to showcase their original songs and compete for more than $10,000 in prize money at the St. John Church Outdoor Pavilion in Schulenburg, Texas on Saturday, May 2, 2026. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
Emily Scott Robinson, a Carolina born & bred and Colorado-based singer-songwriter, had the top album (Appalachia) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during February 2026, while Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis“ -- an anti-ICE protest song inspired by the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in the Minnesota city -- was the most-played song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline to view the top albums, songs, and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
Roy Book Binder, a noted American country blues and ragtime guitarist, singer-songwriter and raconteur, died on March 3, 2026. He was 82. [Click on the headline or Read More to continue reading this article.]
Together Again, the second collaborative recording by iconic folksinger-songwriters Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon, was the top album on folk radio during January 2026, while “The Future,” its opening track, was the month’s most-played song, and the two were the most-played artists. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline or link to continue reading this article and to view the top albums, songs and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has revealed the nominees for the 55th Annual JUNO Awards – including those for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and Traditional Roots Album of the Year. The coveted awards will be presented on stage in Hamilton, Ontario at The JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada on Saturday, March 28, 2026, and The JUNO Awards Broadcast at TD Coliseum on Sunday, March 29, 2026, live nationwide on CBC and CBC Gem. They also may be viewed globally on CBC Music’s YouTube channel. [Click on the headline to continue reading this short article.]
Vi Wickam, a Colorado-based champion fiddler and singer, had the top album (The Thanksgiving Album) and the second most-played song (“Another Fine Day for Thanksgiving”) on folk radio during November 2025, while Delaware-based singer-songwriter John Flynn’s “The Victim Tree” was the top song and Archie Fisher, a notable Scottish folk singer and songwriter who died on Nov. 1 -- one week after turning 86, was the month’s most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on he headline to view the top albums, songs, and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
Two-time Juno Award-winning Quebecois folk group Le Vent Du Nord had the top album (Voisinages), its 13th full-length release, on folk radio in October 2025 and was the month’s most-played artist/group. Upstate New York husband & wife contemporary folk duo The Whispering Tree’s “Bones of Better Days,” the title track of its #2 album (its first in seven years), was the month’s most-played song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.
Nominees have been named for the 68th annual GRAMMY Awards to be presented by the Recording Academy on Sunday, February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Among the artists in the American Roots Music Field with multiple nominations are Jon Batiste, Sierra Hull, I’m With Her, Jason Isbell, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Molly Tuttle, and Jesse Welles.
More than 500 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs, and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music are expected to converge on The Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York, Nov. 6-9, 2025 for the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. {Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
Nearly 400 people will converge on Lisle, Illinois (near Chicago) October 23-26, 2025 for the annual FARM Gathering & Presenter Summit presented by Folk Alliance Region Midwest, one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International. The extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, learning opportunities, and networking features 14 official juried showcases, along with a number of late-night private showcases hosted by AcousticMusicScene.com and others. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
More than 100 acts, from solo artists to full bands, will be selected to showcase their talents during the 2026 Singer-Songwriter of Cape May music conference that is set for Friday-Saturday, March 27-28, in the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside community. All artists who submit showcase applications online and pay the $20 submission fee by the November 30 deadline will receive complimentary registration credentials for the conference whether or not they are slotted. [Click on the headline to continue reading this short article.]
The South Florida Folk & Acoustic Music Club is accepting online applications for both its National Singer-Songwriter Competition and South Florida Singer-Songwriter Competition through October 31, 2025. A panel of preliminary judges will assess the submissions. Finalists in the national competition will be invited to perform and be evaluated by another panel of three judges during the annual South Florida Folk & Acoustic Music Festival that is slated for January 30-February 1, 2026 at the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie. Artists in the local competition will perform prior to the festival, while three winners will be invited to showcase their talents during it. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
