CFMA's 2017 ~ Detailed List Of Recipients

All photography by Leonard Poole

 OTTAWA, Saturday, November 18, 2017 – Canadian Folk Music Awards (#CFMA2017) were awarded during the first evening of celebrations at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa. The 13th anniversary event was hosted by musicians pictured above, Jean Hewson and Benoit Bourque (La Bottine Souriante) in a bilingual evening filled with music including performances by 2017 nominees MAZ, Twin Flames, Beyond The Pale, BEYRIES, Kobo Town and Danny Michel. Ten awards were handed out throughout evening. 

 Danny Michel was honoured twice during the evening for his latest album Khlebnikov 
which received the Oliver Schroer Pushing The Boundaries Award. He was also awarded the 
Producer of the Year Award along with his collaborator Rob Carli. Khlebnikov takes its album name from the Kapitan Khlebnikov, the Russian icebreaker vessel that inspired the music and where he recorded the album’s songs during an arctic expedition. The album also features arrangements by composer Rob Carli as well as performances from Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield. 

The iconic Fred Penner, below, won the Children’s Album of the Year category for his album Hear The Music. Stephen Fearing, right, won for Contemporary Singer of the Year for his album Every Soul’s A Sailor. Leeroy Stagger won Solo Artist of the Year for his album Love Versus. French Songwriter of the Year award was bestowed on Luc de Larochellière for his album Autre Monde while English Songwriter of the Year was given to Ken Yates for his album Huntsville and Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year was awarded to Ottawa’s own Twin Flames for their album Signal Fire. Kobo Town were honoured as World Group of the Year for their album Where The Galleon Sank.

The Slaight Music Unsung Hero Award was also given out this evening to Newfoundland’s much-loved Gerry Strong for his incredible contributions to the folk music scene.

Sunday, November 19, 2017 – Canadian Folk Music Awards were awarded during the second evening of celebrations at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa. The 13th anniversary event was hosted by musicians Jean Hewson and Benoit Bourque (La Bottine Souriante) in a bilingual evening filled with music including performances by 2017 nominees Cassie and Maggie, Braden Gates, Coco Méliès, Scott MacMillan & Colin Grant, Oh Susanna and Stephen Fearing. Ten awards were handed out throughout evening. 

London, Ontario songwriter and Berklee graduate Ken Yates was awarded his second Canadian Folk Music Awards of the weekend for New/Emerging Artist of the Year for his captivating and moving heart-on-his-sleeve album Huntsville. (His previous accolade was handed out on Saturday evening for English Songwriter of the Year.)

The dynamic performers Moscow Apartment, right, were awarded Young Performers of the Year for their album Demo. André Brunet took home Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year for his fiddling album La grosse maison rouge. The East Coast’s Scott MacMillan & Colin Grant teamed up for success with their guitar and fiddle collaboration Good2Go, receiving Instrumental Group of the Year.

Drawing freely from folk-roots, indie music traditions and punk rock, Toronto’s Abigail Lapell’s Hide Nor Hair achieved Contemporary Album of the Year. Louis Simão (left) brought listeners on a journey through the sounds of his Portuguese-speaking world, receiving the award for his album A Luz (A Light) for World Solo Album of the Year. Sisters Cassie and Maggie received Traditional Album of the Year for their Celtic roots album The Willow Collection.

Montreal’s Coco Méliès‘ (pronounced Coco May-lee-ess) luminous and refined folk album The Riddle received Vocal Album of the Year. Hannah Shira Naiman, on the right, is the Traditional Singer of the Year for her old time album Know The Mountain.

Powerful duo Mama’s Broke from Halifax, who pull from old-time, Québécois, blues, Celtic, Balkan and (even) doom metal, were honoured with Ensemble of the Year for their album Count The Wicked.

Established by Canada’s burgeoning and internationally recognized folk music community, the Canadian Folk Music Awards is currently its 13th year. The two nights of celebrations of the Canadian Folk Music Awards wrapped up with a open-hearted singalong with the full audience.  For more information, visit folkawards.ca.

List of Winners: Danny Michel x2, Fred Penner, Stephen Fearing, Leeroy Stagger, Luc de Larochellière, Ken Yates x2, Twin Flames, Kobo Town, Moscow Apartment, André Brunet, Scott MacMillan & Colin Grant, Abigail Lapell, Louis Simão, Cassie and Maggie, Coco Méliès, Hannah Shira Naiman, Mama’s Broke,