Latest News

Michael Kornfeld Re-Elected President of Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Board

Michael Kornfeld, editor and publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, was re-elected to a second term as president of the board of directors of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) during its annual conference at the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, CT, Nov. 9-12, 2017. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Compass Records Acquires Red House Records

Compass Records Group has added Red House Records to its family of labels. The Nashville, TN-based company announced its acquisition of the St. Paul, MN-based imprint on Nov. 7. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

NERFA Conference Returns to Stamford, CT, Nov. 9-12 – Celebrating Music and Community

More than 700 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs, and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music will converge on the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, Connecticut, Nov. 9-12, for the 23rd Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference. AcousticMusicScene.com will again have a major presence as it hosts afternoon and late-night song swaps in addition to its popular Midnight Hoot at the close of the conference’s first day. [To continue reading this article -- which includes listings of all the artists performing in juried Formal and Semi-Formal Showcases, as well as those hosted by AcousticMusicScene.com -- click on the headline.]
Top Albums, Songs - October 2017 (FOLKDJ-L)

Top Albums, Songs – October 2017 (FOLKDJ-L)

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers had the most-played album (The Long Awaited Album), while fellow Rounder artist Chris Hillman’s “Wildflowers” was the most-played song on folk radio during October 2017. So say charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. [The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]

Official Showcase Artists Chosen for 30th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference

Folk Alliance International has announced the Official Showcase artists for its 30th annual conference taking place February 14-18, 2018, at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. [To continue reading this article -- which includes a listing of Official Showcase artists -- click on the headline.]

Rhiannon Giddens is Named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow

Rhiannon Giddens was named earlier this month as one of 24 recipients of 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, also known as a “genius grants,” awarded annually to “individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future.” [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Top Albums & Songs – September 2017 (FOLKDJ-L)

KC Groves had the most-played album (Happy Little Trees) and three of the six most-played songs (“Little Rain,” “Northern Lights” and “Bluebird”) on folk radio during September 2017, and was the month’s most-played artist. Mara Levine (with Gathering Time) had the month’s #1 song, “By My Silence.” So say charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. [The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominees Named

Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominees Named

Cassie and Maggie and Stephen Fearing top the list of nominees for the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards with four nods each. The Nova Scotia sister duo and the Canadian folk-rock singer-songwriter are among the 75 artists and groups from nine provinces and one territory vying for awards in 19 categories to be presented at Ottawa’s Bronson Centre on Nov. 18-19. [To continue reading this article and see the complete list of nominees, click on the headline.]

NewSong Competition Entry Deadline Nears

October 15 is the online submissions deadline for the 2017 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Showcase & Competition. Now in its 16th year, the competition showcases emerging performing songwriters. NewSong Music is an independent music organization that aims to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across various genres of music and skill levels, while identifying truly exceptional artists and introducing their music to a broader international audience. [To continue reading this short article, click on the headline.]

Open Book Wins 2017 Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition at Connecticut Folk Festival

Open Book, the Cold Spring, NY-based husband-and-wife contemporary folk duo of Rick and Michele Gedney, was named the winner of the 2017 Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition following a final round featuring four artists/acts during the Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo at New Haven’s Edgerton Park on Sept. 9. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

APAP Changes Its Name; Annual Conference Set for Jan. 12-16, 2018 in New York City

APAP has officially changed its name while retaining its familiar acronym. The Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization -- which had been known as the Association of Performing Arts Presenters since 1988 and is best known to AcousticMusicScene.com readers and others for its annual conference in New York City each January -- is now the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
2017 Americana Honors & Awards Show to be Streamed Live on Sept. 13

2017 Americana Honors & Awards Show to be Streamed Live on Sept. 13

The 2017 Americana Honors & Awards will be presented September 13 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring an all-star band led by Buddy Miller, the awards show is the highlight of the 18th annual AmericanaFest, a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is put on by the Americana Music Association. A live video stream of the show will be webcast via NPRMusic.org starting at 6:30 p.m. CDT, while a live simulcast will air on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country and several Nashville area radio stations. [To continue reading this article and see the list of nominees in six categories, click on the headline.]