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Finalists Announced in 2018 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition

Finalists Announced in 2018 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition

Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2018 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among more than 600 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform their two submitted songs during the New Folk Concerts on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 26 and 27, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival in he Texas Hill Country. [To continue reading this article and see the listing of Kerrville New Folk finalists and alternates, click on the headline.]

Top Albums, Songs – March 2018 (FOLKDJ-L)

Whistle Down the Wind by Joan Baez and Ghost Light by John McCutcheon were the most-played albums on folk radio during March 2018. “The President Sang Amazing Grace,” written by Zoe Mulford and recorded by Joan Baez, was the month’s top song. So say charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. McCutcheon’s Ghost Light also was the most-played album in February, while “Hole” by Tracy Grammer was that month’s most-played song. [The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Semifinalists Named in 2018 Songwriter Serenade Competition

Semifinalists Named in 2018 Songwriter Serenade Competition

Fifteen songwriters have been invited to showcase their original songs and compete for prize money at the Moravia Performance Hall in Moravia, Texas, on Saturday, May 5, after being named as semifinalists in the 2018 Songwriter Serenade Competition. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

FAR-West, FARM, NERFA Offer Juried Showcase Opportunities at Fall Conferences

Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International, are currently accepting applications for juried showcases during their respective annual conferences this fall. All showcase entries must be submitted online. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Bruce Cockburn, The Dead South and Buffy Sainte-Marie Win Juno Awards

Bruce Cockburn, The Dead South and Buffy Sainte-Marie Win Juno Awards

Artist and Songwriter of the Year honors went to the late Gord Downie, while Bruce Cockburn took home Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and The Dead South won Traditional Roots Album of the Year during the 2018 JUNO Awards ceremonies on March 25 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Award recipients in these and other categories were selected by members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Entries Sought in CT Folk’s 2018 Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition

March 31 is the deadline for singer-songwriters to enter the 2018 Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition that is held in conjunction with the Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo. Five finalists will be invited to perform two of their submitted songs during the annual free outdoor event that takes place in New Haven’s Edgerton Park on Saturday, September 8, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

IBMA Songwriter Showcase Applications Sought

Up to 10 songwriters (or songwriting teams) will be invited to perform one original bluegrass song each for an audience of artists, producers and other industry professionals during a Songwriter Showcase at this year’s World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina, hosted by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The online application period for the IBMA Songwriter Showcase -- slated for Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 -- extends through March 31. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Nominees Named for 2018 JUNO Awards

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has revealed the nominees for the 2018 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 Sunday, March 25 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
SPBGMA Presents Bluegrass Music Awards

SPBGMA Presents Bluegrass Music Awards

The Farm Hands were the top winners in the 44th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards presented by The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday, February 4, 2018. Winners in 19 categories were honored during an awards show that capped the nonprofit organization’s 35th national convention. [To continue reading this article and see the complete list of winners, click on the headline.]

Winners Named in 60th Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field

Winners in the 60th Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field were recognized during a Premiere Ceremony that streamed online prior to The Recording Academy’s televised awards show on Sunday, January 28 from Madison Square Garden in New York City. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

NERFA Presents Mid-Winter FolkFest to be Live Streamed from Club Passim, Jan. 27

Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) is pleased to partner with Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts to present a Mid-Winter FolkFest on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 12-4 p.m. The afternoon of music emanating from the legendary Harvard Square listening room and featuring 11 artists/acts in a combination of song swaps and short showcases will be livestreamed via Concert Window. To view, logon to www.concertwindow.com/clubpassim on the day of the show. For those in the Greater Boston-Cambridge area, tickets are also available to enjoy the festival in-person @ clubpassim.org. [To continue reading this article and see the schedule for the afternoon, click on the headline.]

Folk and Roots Music Artists Showcase Their Talents During APAP Conference in NYC

Nearly 3,500 arts professionals from throughout the U.S. and nearly 30 other countries converged on New York City, Jan. 12-16, 2018 for the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP). As in years past, dozens of performers from the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities in the U.S., Canada, and several other countries were featured among the more than 1,000 showcases during the global multidisciplinary performing arts marketplace and conference. [To continue reding this extensive article about the APAP Conference, click on the headline.]