Today the nominees for the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards were announced, with 105 nominations in 19 categories, and with no less than 21 going to Atlantic Canadian artists. Nova Scotia’s folk song-writer extraordinaire Dave Gunning himself is in a tie for first place against The Small Glories with four nominations each.
While Dave Gunning is raking in nominations for Contemporary Album of the Year, Contemporary Singer of the Year, English Songwriter of the Year, and Solo Artist of the Year, other East Coasters to earn a nod this year include Vishtèn, Jenn Grant, Ben Caplan, and Lennie Gallant, all with three nominations apiece. Old Man Luedecke and Matt Andersen each received 2 nominations themselves, as well as Erin Costelo for the production of Kaia Kater‘s album, Grenades.
Other Atlantic Canadian musicians to receive a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination include Caroline Savoie, The Lumber Jills, Conway, Fortunate Ones, Jenelle Duval, Danielle Benoit, Stacey Howse, Nick Earle, producer Daniel Ledwell, Jacques Surette, Còig, Shannon Quinn, Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Irish Mythen, and Richard Wood.
The 2020 Canadian Folk Music Award Nominees:
TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM TRADITIONNEL DE L’ANNÉE
Easy Money – Old Man Luedecke
Horizons – Vishtèn
Queen City Jubilee – The Slocan Ramblers
Territoires – Le Vent du Nord
Watchmaker – Shannon Quinn
CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM CONTEMPORAIN DE L’ANNÉE
Assiniboine & The Red – The Small Glories
Citizen Alien – Leaf Rapids
Getaway – Abigail Lapell
Love, Inevitable – Jenn Grant
The Al Purdy Songbook – Various
The Maze – Ariana Gillis
Time Travel – Lennie Gallant
Up Against The Sky – Dave Gunning
CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM JEUNESSE DE L’ANNÉE
It Takes a Village – Ginalina
Lullabies For Big Eyes – The Kerplunks
Magical Lullabies – Amos J & Jérôme Fortin
Rocks and Roots – Will’s Jams
You, Me and the Sea – Splash’N Boots
TRADITIONAL SINGER OF THE YEAR / CHANTEUR TRADITIONNEL DE L’ANNÉE
Rachel Davis – Ashlar (Còig)
Joshua Haulli – AQQUT
Sophie Lavoie – Portraits (Sophie & Fiachra)
Old Man Luedecke – Easy Money
Allison Lupton – Words of Love
CONTEMPORARY SINGER OF THE YEAR / CHANTEUR CONTEMPORAIN DE L’ANNÉE
Matt Andersen – Halfway Home By Morning
Jenn Grant – Love, Inevitable
Dave Gunning – Up Against The Sky
Lydia Persaud – Let Me Show You
Andrea Ramolo – Homage
INSTRUMENTAL SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR / INSTRUMENTISTE SOLO DE L’ANNÉE
Itamar Erez – Mi Alegria
Sabin Jacques – Grandes Rencontres (Sabin Jacques & Rachel Aucoin)
Graham Lindsey – TradHead
Jon Pilatzke – Amongst Friends
Richard Wood – Unbroken
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR / GROUPE INSTRUMENTAL DE L’ANNÉE
Emilyn Stam & Filippo Gambetta – Shorelines
Mairi Rankin & Eric Wright – The Cabin Sessions
Pierre Schryer & Adam Dobres – Mandorla
The Fitzgeralds – The Fitzgeralds
Toronto Tabla Ensemble – Bhumika
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR / GROUPE VOCAL DE L’ANNÉE
Fortunate Ones – Hold Fast
Geneviève et Alain – De la rivière à la mer
Musique à bouches – L’habit de plumes
The Small Glories – Assiniboine & The Red
The Sweet Lowdown – Low Clouds in the Morning
ENSEMBLE OF THE YEAR / GROUPE DE L’ANNÉE
Haley Richardson & Quinn Bachand – When The Wind Blows High and Clear
Oliver the Crow – Oliver the Crow
The Slocan Ramblers – Queen City Jubilee
The Small Glories – Assiniboine & The Red
Vishtèn – Horizons
SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR / ARTISTE SOLO DE L’ANNÉE
Michael Jerome Browne – That’s Where It’s At
Jenn Grant – Love, Inevitable
Dave Gunning – Up Against The Sky
Sarah MacDougall – All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything
Danny Michel – White & Gold
Irish Mythen – Little Bones
ENGLISH SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR / AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR(S) ANGLOPHONE DE L’ANNÉE
Ben Caplan, Christian Barry – Old Stock (Ben Caplan)
Lennie Gallant – Time Travel
Dave Gunning – Up Against The Sky
Kaia Kater – Grenades
Abigail Lapell – Getaway
Cara Luft, JD Edwards, Neil Osborne, Catherine MacLellan – Assiniboine & The Red (The Small Glories)
Madeleine Roger – Cottonwood
Justin Rutledge – Passages
FRENCH SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR /AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR(S) FRANCOPHONE DE L’ANNÉE
Bernard Adamus – C’qui nous reste du Texas
Jordane Labrie, Clement Desjardins – 12 jours (Jordane)
Jean Leloup – L’étrange pays
Safia Nolin – Dans le noir
Caroline Savoie – Pourchasser l’aube
INDIGENOUS SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR / AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR(S) AUTOCHTONE DE L’ANNÉE
Sugar Plum Croxen, Shelley Hamilton, George Elliott Clarke – Constitution (The Afro-Métis Nation)
Jenelle Duval, Danielle Benoit, Stacey Howse – Qama’si (Eastern Owl)
Joshua Haulli – AQQUT
Diyet van Lieshout – Diyet & the Love Soldiers
Mike Paul – Origine
WORLD SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR / ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE MUSIQUE DU MONDE – SOLO
Ben Caplan – Old Stock
Cristian De La Luna – SABES
Quique Escamilla – Encomienda
Roberto López – Kaleido Strópico
Wesli – Rapadou Kreyol
WORLD GROUP OF THE YEAR / GROUPE DE MUSIQUE DE MONDE DE L’ANNÉE
Al Qahwa – Cairo Moon
Ayrad – Zoubida
Emilyn Stam & Filippo Gambetta – Shorelines
Pierre Schryer & Adam Dobres – Mandorla
Toronto Tabla Ensemble – Bhumika
NEW/EMERGING ARTIST(S) OF THE YEAR / ARTISTE(S) DE LA RELÈVE
Birds Of Bellwoods – Victoria
Geneviève Racette – No Water, No Flowers
Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys – Dreamland
Hook & Nail – Ghosts of Taylorton
Lydia Persaud – Let Me Show You
T. Buckley – Miles We Put Behind
The Lumber Jills – The Lumber Jills
The Unfaithful Servants – The Unfaithful Servants
PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR / RÉALISATEUR(S) DE L’ANNÉE
Erin Costelo – Grenades (Kaia Kater)
Steve Dawson – Halfway Home By Morning (Matt Andersen)
Luke Doucet – The Northern South Vol. 2 (Whitehorse)
Daniel Ledwell – Time Travel (Lennie Gallant)
Jory Nash, Chris Stringer – Wilderness Years (Jory Nash)
OLIVER SCHROER PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES AWARD / PRIX INNOVATION MUSICALE OLIVER SCHROER
Ben Caplan – Old Stock
Elisapie – The Ballad of the Runaway Girl
Samson Wrote – Pigeon
Tri-Continental – Dust Dance
Vishtèn – Horizons
YOUNG PERFORMER(S) OF THE YEAR / JEUNE ARTISTE(S) DE L’ANNÉE
Conway – Conway
Nick Earle – Breaking New Ground
Joshua Haulli – AQQUT
Keltie – Expect Inhibition
Jacques Surette – Marche, marche, marche
The 15th edition of the CFMAs will take place April 3-4, 2020, in Charlottetown, PEI, at the PEI Convention Centre. Tickets and wristbands will go on sale in early 2020.