The Canadian Folk Music Awards have announced their 2021 nominees, a staggering 100 nominees in 19 categories. Among them are a number that have been covered on Folk Radio UK including Pharis & Jason Romero‘s whose Bet On Love album (reviewed here) leads the way with no less than six nominations.
…if you’ve enjoyed any of the couple’s previous five albums, or generally dig soulful roots music written and performed with great skill by couples that are deeply in love, able to rise above unexpected life challenges, and fully focused on their art, you’ll undoubtedly flip for this lovely album.
David Morrison (Folk Radio UK)
Also featured is William Prince’s Reliever with five nominations…
I am moved not only by Prince’s stately songs but also by his eloquent message in the sleeve-notes. We all know that music holds the transformative power to inspire and motivate and, in this respect, with his personal food-for-thought philosophy, Prince lends comfort and offers hope to any listener struggling through life’s trials and tribulations
David Morrison (Folk Radio UK)
The East Pointers pick up four nominations for Yours To Break who also spoke about the album on Hudson Records Listening Club back in September:
Picking up three nominations each are Catherine MacLellan‘s Coyote, reviewed on Folk Radio UK by Mike Davies who concluded “there’s compassion, understanding and wisdom here”, and Basia Bulat‘s Are You in Love?, Mike made no secret of his love for the album in his review here.
Among those picking up two nominations each which we’ve covered include:
Maya Rae‘s Can You See Me? which was reviewed by Folk Radio UK’s Bob Fish:
Wise beyond her years, Maya Rae shows herself as an artist who knows what she wants. Based on the power and authority of Can You See Me?, this is a young lady who can have whatever she wants.
Bob Fish (Folk Radio UK)
Sultans of String with Refuge from which we premiered the video for Asi Soy (This is Me) feat. Yasmin Levy and Julian Taylor‘s The Ridge which Mike Davies reviewed here.
Open and heartfelt, personal yet universal, the only complaint is that it’s only eight tracks long when I could have happily sat through twice that.
Mike Davies (Folk Radio UK)
The full list of nominees are below, along with a Spotify playlist you should check out.
THE 2021 CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES
Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année
- Broccoli Farm by/par Claire Ness
- Goodnight To You All by/par Charlie Hope
- Small But Mighty by/par Ginalina
- The Mountain Man by/par Spencer Burton
- Tous musiciens by/par Henri Godon
Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année
- Are You in Love? by/par Basia Bulat
- At the Edge of the World by/par Mike McKenna Jr.
- Coyote by/par Catherine MacLellan
- Drifters by/par Joe Nolan
- Reliever by/par William Prince
- Sugar & Joy by/par The Dead South
- The Unconquerable Past by/par Stephen Fearing
- Yours To Break by/par The East Pointers
Contemporary Singer of the Year / Chanteur contemporain de l’année
- Coco Love Alcorn for/pour Rebirth
- Basia Bulat for/pour Are You in Love?
- Tim Chaisson for/pour Yours To Break
- Catherine MacLellan for/pour Coyote
- William Prince for/pour Reliever
English Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) anglophone de l’année
- Colo Love Alcorn for/pour Rebirth
- Basia Bulat for/pour Are You in Love?
- William Prince for/pour Reliever
- Pharis & Jason Romero for/pour Bet On Love
- Sarah Jane Scouten for/pour Confessions
- Julian Taylor for/pour The Ridge
Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année
- OKAN for/pour Sombras
- Pharis & Jason Romero for/pour Bet On Love
- Sultans of String for/pour Refuge
- Sussex for/pourThe Ocean Wide
- The Dead South for/pour Sugar & Joy
French Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur-compositeur(s) francophone de l’année
- Guillaume Arsenault pour/for La partie de moi qui tremble
- Raphaël Delahaye pour/for Le sens de la dérive
- Marie-Ève Lapierre-Lemoyne pour/for Onze
- Flavie Léger-Roy pour/for Ce chapeau est trop grand pour moi
- Alexandre Poulin pour/for Nature humaine
Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) autochtone de l’année
- Jason & Nadia Burnstick for/pour Kîyânaw
- A.W. Cardinal for/pour Bare Knuckles & Brawn
- Leela Gilday for/pour North Star Calling
- Riit for/pour ataataga
- Crystal Shawanda for/pour Church House Blues
Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année
- Beòlach for/pour All Hands
- Emilyn Stam & John David Williams for/pour Honeywood
- Gordon Grdina’s The Marrow for/pour Safar-E-Daroon
- Jessica Deutsch & Ozere for/pour Traces
- Rhizome for/pour Double capture
Instrumental Solo artist of the Year / Instrumentiste solo de l’année
- Marc Atkinson for/pour Solo
- Benjamin Barrile for/pour Esperando el Alba
- Gordon Grdina for/pour Prior Street
- Nick Hornbuckle for/pour 13 or So
- Natalie MacMaster for/pour Sketches
New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year / Artiste(s) de la relève de l’année
- Noah Derksen for/pour America, Dreaming
- Marie-Ève Laure for/pour Onze
- Maya Rae for/pour Can You See Me?
- Emily Rockarts for/pour Little Flower
- Rum Ragged for/pour The Thing About Fish
- Emily Triggs for/pour Middletown
Producer(s) of the Year / Réalisateur(s) de l’année
- Dave Clarke & Bill Garrett for/pour Coming Home (Steel Rail)
- Roy Forbes for/pour Edge of Blue (Roy Forbes)
- Marc Jenkins for/pour Bet On Love (Pharis & Jason Romero)
- Dayna Manning for/pour Morning Light (Dayna Manning)
- Chris McKhool & John ‘Beetle’ Bailey for/pour Refuge (Sultans of String)
Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroer
- Aerialists for/pour Dear Sienna
- Mélisande [Électrotrad] for/pour Les myriades
- Riit for/pour ataataga
- The East Pointers for/pour Yours To Break
- The Henrys for/pour Paydirt
Single of the Year / Monoplage de l’année
- K’eintah Natse Ju by/par Leela Gilday (Producer / Réalisateur: Hill Kourkoutis)
- Some Kind of Hell by/par Burnstick (Producers / Réalisateurs: Jason & Nadia Burnstick)
- The Spark by/par William Prince (Producers / Réalisateurs: Scott Nolan, Dave Cobb)
- Wintergreen by/par The East Pointers (Producer / Réalisateur: Gordie Sampson)
- Yellowknife by/par Craig Cardiff (Producer / Réalisateur: Craig Cardiff)
Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année
- Catherine MacLellan for/pour Coyote
- Lynn Miles for/pour We’ll Look For Stars
- William Prince for/pour Reliever
- Riit for/pour ataataga
- Julian Taylor for/pour The Ridge
Traditional Album of the Year / Album traditionnel de l’année
- All Hands by/par Beòlach
- Bet On Love by/par Pharis & Jason Romero
- Crowing Ignites by/par Bruce Cockburn
- Debout! by/par Le Diable à Cinq
- The Lost Tapes by/par Ian & Sylvia
Traditional Singer of the Year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année
- Mike Bravener for/pour Depends Upon The Pay
- Kevin Harvey for/pour Hand me Down Blues
- Mark Manning for/pour The Thing About Fish
- Lou Natale for/pour Workin’ the Mystery
- Pharis Romero for/pour Bet On Love
Vocal Group of the Year / Groupe vocal de l’année
- Beauséjour for/pour Beauséjour
- Big Little Lions for/pour Inside Voice
- Kennedy Road for/pour A Little Fight Left Yet
- Pharis & Jason Romero for/pour Bet On Love
- The Barrel Boys for/pour Mainline
World Album of the Year / Album de musiques du monde de l’année
- Africa Without Borders by/par Okavango African Orchestra
- Kora flamenca by/par Zal Sissokho
- La Serena by/par Aviva Chernick
- Patria by/par Mazacote
- Sombras by/par OKAN
Young Performer(s) of the Year / Jeune artiste(s) de l’année
- Maya Rae for/pour Can You See Me?
- Moscow Apartment for/pour Better Daughter
- Paige Penney for/pour Watch Out For Your Step
- Quin With One N for/pour Out of the Blue
- The Gilberts for/pour The Gilberts: One
Spotify Playlist:
Find out more here: https://folkawards.ca/