Canadian Folk Music Award winners
November 17, 2012, Saint John, NB
It was a night to remember in Saint John, NB Saturday, when 17 of the best folk musicians, recordings and producers in the country were honoured with Canadian Folk Music Awards. The Awards Gala the Imperial Theatre marked the high point of a weekend of celebration that included two nominee showcases as well as a festival full of events hosted by the local organizing committee.
And the awards went to:
Henri Godon, Children’s Album of the Year, for Chansons pour toutes sortes d’enfants
The Fretless, Instrumental Group of the Year, for Waterbound
The Once, Vocal Group of the Year, for Row Upon Row of The People They Know
Rob Szabo, Producer of the Year, for A Natural Fact by Steve Strongman
Trent Freeman, Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year, for Rock Paper Scissors
Michael Jerome Browne, Solo Artist of the Year, for The Road Is Dark
The Fretless, Ensemble of the Year, for Waterbound
Rose Cousins, Contemporary Singer of the Year, for We Have Made A Spark
Sagapool, Pushing the Boundaries, for Sagapool
Mes Aïeux, French Songwriter of the Year, for À l’aube du printemps
Catherine MacLellan, English Songwriter of the Year, for Silhouette
Lucas Chaisson, Young Performer of the Year, for Growing Pains
Lenka Lichtenberg, Traditional Singer of the Year, (the Sue Goldberg Award), for Songs for the Breathing Walls
Pharis & Jason Romero, New/Emerging Artist of the Year, for A Passing Glimpse
Sultans of String, World Group of the Year, for MOVE
Metis Fiddler Quartet, Traditional Album of the Year, for Northwest Voyage Nord Ouest
The Deep Dark Woods, Contemporary Album of the Year, for The Place I Left Behind
Two other special presentations were made at the ceremony. Harmonica genius and ArtsCan Circle founder Mike Stevens was named Innovator of the Year for 2012; and Saint John, New Brunswick’s Gerry Taylor was recognized as Atlantic Canada’s Unsung Hero of folk music in the region, for his contribution for over half a century as a newspaper columnist, talent scout and judge.
A roster of talent rounded out the Gala, with performances from New Brunswick’s own Matt Andersen, Nova Scotians Cindy Church and Susan Crowe, the Spinney Brothers (also from Nova Scotia), Quebec’s Genticorum, Calgary’s Cara Luft and famed bluegrass harmonica player Mike Stevens. Stevens teamed up with Matt Andersen for a tune and was also on stage to accompany the Atlantic Ballet in a unique blend of music and dance.
“We are indebted to these wonderful performers for helping us celebrate a really special evening,” said Grit Laskin, founder and director of the CFMAs, at the ceremony. “We’d also like to tip our hats to the 85 jurors for their dedicated hard work selecting this year’s award recipients. With over 450 submissions and then some 86 finalists, it’s no mean task to pare it down to 17 award recipients, especially when every year the depth and breadth of talent on the Canadian folk music scene grows and expands.”
The 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards are slated to take place in Calgary, Alberta.
Complete list of nominees for the 2012 CFMA
