Latest News

Clearwater Sets 2020 Virtual Revival, June 20

Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, a festival celebrating environmental activism and education, traditionally held over the Father’s Day weekend, won’t be taking place at Croton Point Park in Croton-On-Hudson in New York’s Hudson Valley this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, you can enjoy music by some of the artists who would have been there and more from the comfort of your own home on Saturday, June 20, during Clearwater’s 2020 Virtual Revival. [To continue reading this article and see the complete festival schedule, click on the headline.]

2020 Americana Honors & Awards Nominees Announced

Nominees in six categories have been named for the 2020 Americana Honors and Awards. The winners will be recognized on Sept. 16 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. [To continue reading this article and to view the list of nominees and a few videos, click on the headline.]

National Independent Talent Organization Launched

Fourteen independent talent agencies have joined forces to form a new nonprofit advocacy group that aims to promote the welfare and prosperity of its members and their represented artists, as well as for the indirect benefit of those associated with them. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has prompted the cancelation of countless concerts and music festivals, the nascent National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) “has been working tirelessly to advocate for the survival of the live music community” in the U.S., according to a news release issued on June 11. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Online Tribute to John Prine Premieres June 11

Online Tribute to John Prine Premieres June 11

Family and friends of John Prine will share memories of and songs by the internationally acclaimed and revered singer-songwriter during Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine on Thursday, June 11. The online celebration of his life and music will stream on Prine’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, as well as Oh Boy Records' Twitch channel, at 7:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. PDT and can be replayed through Sunday. A songwriter’s songwriter, who toured and plied his craft for nearly 50 years, Prine died April 7 at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19). [To continue reading this, click on the headline.]
FAI Folk Radio Airplay Charts - May 2020

FAI Folk Radio Airplay Charts – May 2020

The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury, as interpreted and performed by Gretchen Peters, was the top album on folk radio during May 2020, closely followed by 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson. “2020 Vision” by Danny Schmidt was the month’s #1 song, while Bob Dylan was the 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. [The monthly top albums,songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, along with some additional narrative, click on the headline.]

Doc Watson Week on Social Media, May 25-29

A number of artists will celebrate the life and legacy of American music legend Doc Watson on social media during the week of May 25-29, 2020 under the auspices of MerleFest, one of America’s premiere music festivals. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
DelFest Hosts Free Virtual Festival Over Memorial Day Weekend

DelFest Hosts Free Virtual Festival Over Memorial Day Weekend

DelFest will stream performances from previous editions of the festival launched by Del McCoury, an acclaimed bluegrass musician, and members of his extended family, May 21-May 24, 2020 -- the originally scheduled festival weekend. Called DelFest At Home and celebrating musical highlights from DelFests past that have taken place in western Maryland for more than a decade, the free online event will showcase the festival’s namesake and his family, along with other notable bluegrass artists and jam bands. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Kerrville Folk Festival Hosts Virtual Celebration; 24 New Folk Finalists Named

Although the annual Kerrville Folk Festival won’t be taking place in late May- June on the Quiet Valley Ranch campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, “virtual concerts” featuring nearly 40 of the artists who were booked to perform during it will be streamed from the festival’s website and its Facebook page on three successive Saturdays in late May-early June. Meanwhile, 24 songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2020 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Contest for Emerging Songwriters that organizers hope will take place Oct. 9 and 10 during the 49th annual Kerrville Folk Festival that has been tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 8-18. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
FAI Folk Radio Airplay Charts - April 2020

FAI Folk Radio Airplay Charts – April 2020

John Prine, an internationally acclaimed and revered singer-songwriter who died April 7 at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19), was the top artist and had both the top two albums (The Tree of Forgiveness and John Prine), as well as seven of the month’s top 10 songs, on folk radio during April 2020. 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. [The monthly top albums, songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on headline.]
Winners Named in Canadian Folk Music Awards

Winners Named in Canadian Folk Music Awards

Recipients of 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards were announced during a 30-minute live stream, April 4, on the CFMAs’ website and Facebook page. Manitoba-based duo The Small Glories (Cara Luft and JD Edwards) was named both Vocal Group and Ensemble of the Year, while Assiniboine & the Red (its sophomore release) was named Contemporary Album of the Year. To continue reading this article and to see the complete lis of winners, click on the headline.

Winners of 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards To be Announced Online, April 4

In the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMAs) have opted to host its awards celebration online this year. All 20 awards will be presented virtually on Saturday, April 4.They were to have been presented at the PEI Convention Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, during two Awards Weekend Concerts on April 3-4. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Livestreaming Links and Websites of Note

In the wake of the continuing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of Facebook groups and pages have been launched that welcome artists and presenters to post their livestreaming concerts and/or information about them. [To view a descriptive listing of some new Facebook groups and pages -- as well as websites -- that include livestreaming concerts, click on the headline.]