Michael Jerome Browne – AcousticMusicScene.com

FAI Folk Radio Charts – May 2023

Post published:June 10, 2023
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Acoustic Radio Waves

Gordon Lightfoot, the iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter who died on May 1, was the top artist and had four of the five most-played songs on folk radio during May 2023, while fellow Canadian Michael Jerome Browne, a noted acoustic blues and roots artist, had the month’s top album (Gettin’ Together). 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 artist charts that are posted monthly with permission.]

2020 JUNO Awards Gala is Cancelled

Post published:March 13, 2020
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Awards & Contests

The 2020 JUNO Awards that were to have been presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) on Sunday night, March 15 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and broadcast live on CBC have been cancelled. In a joint statement on March 12, CARAS, the City of Saskatoon and the province of Saskatchewan cited public health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the reason behind the cancellation. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Nominees Named for 2020 JUNO Awards

Post published:January 29, 2020
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Awards & Contests

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has revealed the nominees for the 2020 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 night, March 15 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. [To continue reading this article -- which also includes listings of nominees for Blues Album and Indigenous Artist/ Group of the Year -- click on the headline.]

Nominees Named for 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Post published:November 22, 2019
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Awards & Contests

Singer-Songwriter Dave Gunning, who hails from Nova Scotia, tops the list of nominees for the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards with four nominations. Jenn Grant (also a Nova Scotia-based singer-songwriter), The Small Glories (the Winnipeg-based duo of Cara Luft and JD Edwards), and Vishten (an Acadian trio from Canada’s East Coast) each received three nods, while more than half-a-dozen other artists/acts received two nominations apiece. They are among the many artists and groups from throughout Canada vying for awards in 19 categories to be presented at the PEI Convention Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, during two Awards Weekend Concerts on April 3-4, 2020. [To continue reading this article and see a complete listing of nominees, click on the headline.]

2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards Presented

Post published:November 10, 2015
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Awards & Contests

The 11th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards were presented in Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday evening, Nov. 8, and streamed live online via Concert Window. Winners for 2015 were named in 19 categories, while an Unsung Hero Award recipient was also honored during a bilingual gala & reception at the Citadel Theatre. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Nominees Named for 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Post published:September 9, 2015
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Awards & Contests

With four nominations, rural British Columbia folk duo Pharis and Jason Romero, known for their duets and handmade banjos, is the top contender vying for 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards that will be presented during a gala event at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta on November 8. Amelia Curran (St. John’s, NL), Fortune Ones (St. John’s, NL), Jenn Grant (Lake Echo, NS), Catherine MacLellan (Charlottetown, PEI), and Whitehorse (Toronto, ON) were close behind with three nods apiece. To continue reading this article and see the complete list of nominees in 19 categories, click on the headline.

Top Albums and Songs of February 2015 (FOLKDJ-L)

Post published:March 2, 2015
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Acoustic Radio Waves

"Sliding Delta," a collection of 1920s-1930s rural blues that inspired roots artist Michael Jerome Browne, was the most-played album on folk radio during February 2015, while its title track was the most-played song, according to 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. [February's FOLKDJ-L top albums and songs charts are posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com. To view them, click on the headline.]

Folks jamming in the lobby during a previous NERFA Conference (Photo: Robert Berkowitz/RSBImageWorks.com)

NERFA Conference Set for Nov. 8-11, 2012 in Kerhonkson, NY

Post published:October 14, 2012
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Acoustic Radio Waves Conferences of Note News - Northeast U.S.

More than 750 people from throughout the U.S. and Canada are expected to converge on the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, NY, Nov. 8-11, 2012, for the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. Performers, presenters, promoters, folk DJs, agents and managers, and others actively engaged in the folk and acoustic music scene will enjoy three jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, open mics, song swaps and informal jam sessions, informative panel discussions and workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions, a large trade show-like exhibit hall, tasty communal meals in the dining room, a welcoming party and happy hours, and lots of informal conversation and networking. [Click on the headline to read the full article.]

Suzie Vinnick

Folkies to Converge on Austin, Sept. 27-30, 2012

Post published:September 22, 2012
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Conferences of Note

The Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) hosts its annual conference at the Holiday Inn Midtown in Austin, Texas, Sept. 27-30. Attendees – primarily performing artists, presenters, managers, agents and others engaged more than peripherally in the world of folk and acoustic music – will enjoy open mics, showcases and shared meals; be enlightened during daytime seminars, panel discussions and one-on-one mentoring sessions; and have an opportunity to forge new relationships, renew existing ones, and help build folk community. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

2012 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalists Named

Post published:April 16, 2012
Post author:Michael Kornfeld
Post category:Awards & Contests Festival Focus

Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2012 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among 800 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted during the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 26 and 27, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]