Folk Music Ontario Announces 2023 Ontario Folk Music Award Winners
Hosted by legendary Folk duo The Pairs, the 29th annual Ontario Folk Music Awards took place in London, Ontario on Sunday, October 15, 2023 following the Folk Music Ontario Conference
Taking place at the end of the Folk Music Ontario Conference, the 29th annual Ontario Folk Music Award ceremony was held at London, Ontario's Aeolian Hall on Sunday, October 15, 2023. Legendary local Folk duo, The Pairs, hosted the event, which featured performances by nominees Mia Kelly, Al Qahwa, Barbra Lica, and Shakura S'Aida, with a special in memoriam tribute to Gordon Lightfoot performed by Meredith Moon.
Here are the 2023 Ontario Folk Music Award winners:
CMRRA Song of the Year:
Barbra Lica - 'The Ghost of Me'
Recording Artist of the Year:
Aysanabee
Performing Artist of the Year:
Julian Taylor
Album of the Year:
Shakura S'Aida - 'Hold On To Love'
Estelle Klein Award:
Erin Benjamin - Lifetime Achievement Award
Treasa Levasseur - Community Builder Award
Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award (Presented by the OAC):
Just Prince
Taylor Mitchell Bursary:
The Taylor Mitchell Bursary was established in 2010 by Emily Mitchell in memory of her daughter, Canadian songwriter Taylor Mitchell. The bursary is to support one participant in the Performer Stream of the Developing Artist Program (DAP) who might otherwise be prevented from taking part. This year, Folk Music Ontario awarded all the DAP participants with this bursary.
The recipients are:
Adina Vlasov and Jack Gaughan (A Soft Place to Land), Cameron Summers, Emma Campbell, Francesca Panetta, Jessica Spurrell, Jessie Gosling, Irish Millie, Nicholas Campbell, Rebecca Hope, Vivian Forte
About Folk Music Ontario:
Folk Music Ontario is Canada’s largest provincial organization devoted to the Folk, Roots, and traditional music community. For over 35 years, FMO and its membership have supported the growth and development of the Folk music community and industry across Ontario and Canada through the annual Folk Music Ontario Conference, Developing Artist Program, Festivals' Retreat, Export Development Program, Peer Sessions, Ontario Folk Music Awards, Folk in Film Festival, Year-round Professional Development Sessions, and more.
About the Folk Music Ontario Conference:
The 2023 Folk Music Ontario Conference took place October 12-15th in London, Ontario. You can learn more about the Folk Music Ontario Conference programming and Showcase lineup here. Established in 1987, the Folk Music Ontario Conference has been the largest gathering of the professional Folk Music community in Canada. Since the inaugural gathering as the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, FMO has connected artists and presenters through showcasing, one-on-one meetings, networking, peer sessions, panels, mentorship, and other career development opportunities.