Winners have been named in the 2023 Kerrville New Folk Competition, the Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest, and the Songwriter Serenade. Although the final rounds of all three competitions took place in Texas, they were open to and won by singer-songwriters from outside the Lone Star State.
The Milk Carton Kids curate and partner with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to produce the Los Angeles Folk Festival that makes its debut October-7 and 8, 2023 at The Ford -- one of the southern California city’s oldest performing arts venues.
Ten singer-songwriters have been selected as finalists in the nationally recognized 2023 Telluride Troubadour Competition, held in conjunction with the 5Oth annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a roots-oriented music festival set amid Colorado’s rugged San Juan Mountains, June 15-18. They will now vie for cash and other prizes, as well as the honor of being named this year’s Telluride Troubadour.
Singer-Songwriter Greg Greenway had the top album (Between Hello and Goodbye) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during April 2023, edging out the bluegrass band Mighty Poplar, while singer-songwriter Tom Chapin’s “This Pretty Planet” (co-written with John Forster) 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. [Click on the headline to view the top albums, songs and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
Gordon Lightfoot, an iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter known for his evocative, poetic and stirring songs, died of natural causes in a Toronto hospital on May 1, 2023 at age 84.
More than 250 people will converge on Black Mountain, North Carolina, May 4-7, 2023 for the annual Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Conference. An extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, networking and learning opportunities, the conference will be keynoted by Jeff Place and features 16 juried official showcases, along with a number of late-night private showcases.
SolarFest -- slated for July 15-16, 2023 in Brandon, Vermont -- is again hosting a Singer-Songwriter Showcase following a hiatus of several years. It’s free to enter and open to all artists who write and perform original music and are not currently signed to a major recording label.
The Top 10 Finalists have been named in the 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest that is held in conjunction with the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 19-21 at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas.
Twenty-four songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2023 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among hundreds of submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted at the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 27 and 28, as part of the 51st annual Kerrville Folk Festival. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to see the complete list of finalists.]
Acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter Karan Casey had the top album (Nine Apples of Gold), was the most-played artist on folk radio, and had four of the top 10 songs during March 2023, while Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy’s “Woman of the House” 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. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and view the top albums, songs and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
Winners of this year’s Canadian Folk Music Awards were recognized at a bilingual, celebratory and music-filled event during the CFMA 2023 Awards Weekend, March 31-April 2, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Alberta-based singer-songwriter John Wort Hannam picked up two awards (Contemporary Album of the Year and Solo Artist of the Year for his album Long Haul). So too did Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves (Traditional Album of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year for Hurricane Clarice) and Toronto-based, genre bending global roots music instrumental group Sultans of String (Global Roots Album of the Year for Sanctuary and Producers of the Year - Chris McKhool and John “Beetle” Bailey).
Fifteen songwriters have been invited to showcase their original songs and compete for prize money at the St. John’s Outdoor Pavilion in Schulenburg, Texas on Saturday, May 13 after being named as semifinalists in the 2023 Songwriter Serenade competition.
