Folk Alliance International (FAI), a 501(c)3 and the foremost global nonprofit for folk music, has unveiled the International Folk Music Awards recipients and Best of 2024 nominees. The Awards take place on the first night of FAI’s 37th annual conference, which takes place February 19-23, 2025 in Montréal, QC.
Lifetime Achievement Awards will be granted to Indigo Girls, GRAMMY Award-winners and seven-time GRAMMY nominees, four of whose albums have been certified by the RIAA as platinum-sellers; Lesley Riddle, the African-American musician who gathered songs for the Carter Family with patriarch A.P. Carter, taught Mother Maybelle Carter guitar techniques, played the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and recorded with Mike Seeger; and Songlines, the magazine celebrating its 25th anniversary which covers global roots music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion.
The following are the finalists for Best of 2024 awards:
Artist of the Year (sponsored by Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame):
- Powerhouse vocalist, intrepid songwriter, and drag queen Flamy Grant, winner of the 2023 Kerrville New Folk Competition
- Four-time GRAMMY Award-winner Sarah Jarosz, who appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this fall
- Canadian-Grenadian “star in the making” (Folk Alley) Kaïa Kater
- Nick Lowe, “one of the greatest living songwriters” (NPR) and Elvis Costello collaborator
- 2022 International Folk Music Award Song of the Year winner Crys Matthews
- GRAMMY Award-winner and eight-time GRAMMY nominee Allison Russell, who is soon to star in Broadway’s Hadestown
Album of the Year:
- Trail Of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell (Rounder Records), which debuted atop Billboard’s Emerging Artists, Heatseekers, and Tastemakers charts
- Australian four-piece The Heart Collectors’ The Space Between (Spins the Gold Records), who mounted a sold-out 2024 North American tour
- The “superb” (The Guardian) Strange Medicine by Kaïa Kater (Free Dirt Records), which celebrates the power of oppressed people and act as an antidote to centuries of exploitation, fear, and greed and features guest spots by Allison Russell, Aoife O’Donovan, and Taj Mahal
- Aoife O’Donovan’s All My Friends (Yep Roc Records), which was inspired by the passage of the 19th amendment and the evolving landscape of women’s rights in America over the past century
- The “beautiful, soulful, exquisitely simple, and totally essential” (Bandcamp Daily) self-titled album by Ordinary Elephant (Berkalin Records)
- And Halfway to Houston (self-release) by Susan Werner, who “brings literacy and wit back to popular song” (The New Yorker).
Song of the Year:
- “Tenzin Sings with Nightingales,” written by GRAMMY Award-nominated Tibetan-Australian artist Tenzin Choegyal, who has collaborated with Laurie Anderson, performed by Tenzin Choegyal and Michael Askill
- “Woman Who Pays,” written and performed by the legendary Connie Kaldor, who has been awarded the Order of Canada, a Western Literature Association Award of Merit, as well as three JUNO Awards
- “How I Long for Peace,” written by legendary multi-instrumentalist Peggy Seeger, performed by two-time GRAMMY Award-winner Rhiannon Giddens, Crys Matthews, and the Resistance Revival Chorus.
- “Ukrainian Now,” written and performed by Tom Paxton, “one of the most important figures in American songwriting and the folk music tradition” (Billboard) & John McCutcheon, whom Johnny Cash called “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard”
- “$20 Bill (for George Floyd),” written by Tom Prasada-Rao, performed by Dan Navarro, whose music has been featured in Deadpool 2, Pitch Perfect 2, The Office, Talladega Nights, Robots & seven-time Blues Music Award-winner Janiva Magness.
The People’s Voice Award, which is presented to an individual who unabashedly embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public careers, will be awarded to Gina Chavez. Of Chavez, NPR said, “If you don’t know her already, I dare you to walk away and not become a fan.”
OKAN, the women-led, Afro-Cuban roots and jazz duo who have won two JUNO Awards and appeared on the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series this year, will be honored with The Rising Tide Award (sponsored by Levitt Foundation). The Rising Tide Award was launched in 2021 to celebrate a new generation artist who inspires others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice. The Rising Tide Award’s scope was expanded in 2024 in acknowledgement of the fact that some find their voice in art later in life, and therefore seeks to celebrate emergent artists of any age who inspire others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice.
The Spirit of Folk Awards are presented to honor and celebrate people and organizations actively involved in the promotion and preservation of folk music through their creative work, their community building, and their demonstrated leadership. Spirit of Folk Awards will be presented to:
- Tom Power, celebrated Canadian musician and broadcaster, best known as the host of *Q* on CBC Radio One and a member of the award-winning folk band, The Dardanelles
- Alice Randall, a trailblazer in folk and country music, master songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash (among others), and founder of production company Midsummer Music, whose new collection of songs and book of poetry is out now via Oh Boy Records
- Longtime Folk Alliance Region Midwest pillar Annie Capps
- And Quebec’s Innu Nikamu festival, which has exemplified commitment to the promotion and preservation of Indigenous culture through music and community building for over thirty years.
The Clearwater Award is presented to a festival that prioritizes environmental stewardship and demonstrates public leadership in sustainable event production. This year’s award will go to the River Roads Festival in Easthampton, MA. Founded in 2023 and presented by Dar Williams in collaboration with Laudable Productions in partnership with the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC).
Archie Fisher (BBC Scotland); MarySue Twohy (SIRIUS XM); Taylor Caffery (WRKF); Matthew Finch (posthumous, KUNM); and Chuck Wentworth (posthumous, WRIU) will be inducted into the Folk Radio Hall of Fame. The Folk Radio Hall of Fame has been established to recognize radio DJs, programmers, hosts, and podcasters who have demonstrated and inspired leadership in the broadcast field and who make outstanding contributions to the preservation, promotion, and presentation of folk music.
Folk Alliance International Executive Director Jennifer Roe said, “The recipients and nominees reflect the richness, breadth, and cultural impact of folk music to speak to various experiences of our moment. After all, folk music is the music of the people. I can’t wait to see some of these artists on stage in Montréal!”
All conference attendees will have access to attend the IFMAs. FAI members submit recordings for the 2025 International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs) in the Best-of-the-year categories (Song, Album, and Artist). New recordings released between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024 were eligible. This new procedure allows for a more democratic, community-led approach to the IFMAs.
FAI’s 37th annual conference will feature over one hundred and seventy-five artists, representing thirty-eight countries of origin, nineteen U.S. states, and all thirteen Canadian provinces, one of the larger slates of showcases in the conference’s history. The conference will be held at Montréal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel, site of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1969 Bed-In for Peace.
Among the artists announced to be performing Official Showcases are:
- JUNO Award-winner Ron Sexsmith, about whom the New York Times said is “known for his soulful voice and masterful melodies.”
- Contemporary roots singer-songwriter and Indigenous music Award-winner Mimi O’bonsawin, mixed French Canadian & Abénaki, a member of Odanak First-Nation;
- The legendary Connie Kaldor, who has won the Order of Canada, a Western Literature Association Award of Merit, and three JUNO Awards
- Tania Elizabeth, fiddle player/songwriter/vocalist, who played with the Avett Brothers
- Halifax, Nova Scotia folk duo Mama’s Broke, who have appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk Concert
- Canadian-Grenadian “star in the making” (Folk Alley) Kaïa Kater
- Chinese-American pianist/vocalist Vienna Teng, who has been featured on NPR All Songs Considered and NPR Weekend Edition
- Amy Speace, who was personally signed by Judy Collins; an NPR critic said, “Her velvety achy voice recalls an early Lucinda Williams”
- Sara Curruchich, the first indigenous Guatemalan singer-songwriter to take her songs in Kaqchikel–her mother tongue–and Spanish internationally
- JUNO Award nominee and singer/cellist/composer Jorane, who has won a Jutra Award from her film work and performed at Montréal International Jazz Festival
- Platinum-selling songwriter and “quite possibly the most talented, and engaging, solo performer on this planet” (NPR) Steve Poltz
- GRAMMY nominee, rapper/singer-songwriter SaulPaul, who has performed at America’s Got Talent, The Kennedy Center, and Austin City Limits
- The “rich colors and hazy atmospherics in a sweet and savory mix” (AP) of ISMAY
- Singer/autoharp player/songwriter, Polaris Music Prize short-listed artist, and JUNO Award nominee Basia Bulat, whose music has been produced by Jim James
- Powerhouse vocalist, intrepid songwriter, and drag queen Flamy Grant, winner of 2023 Kerrville New Folk Competition
- Malena Cadiz, who “has a voice that grabs you within seconds” (NPR)
- Olive Klug, who found success on TikTok and whose songs reflect their experience with queer identity and the struggle to establish adulthood in unprecedented times
- Chinese-American Latin GRAMMY nominee Alex Wong, who has performed at Coachella, Stagecoach, and Outside Lands
- Beloved Seattle blues singer Lady A
- Festival headliners Bella’s Bartok, who present a passionate kaleidoscope of sound, born of Americana and Folk music
- 2023 JUNO Award-winning blues artist Angelique Francis, who has shared stages with Buddy Guy, Gary Clark, Jr., Joe Bonamassa, Keb’ Mo’, Beth Hart, and more
- Aleksi Campagne, who was named New Discovery of the Year by Penguin Eggs and Roots Music Canada Critics
- Portugal’s Marta Pereira da Costa, who has performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert and is one of the first women guitarists in the Fado tradition
- International Folk Music Award Spirit of Folk winner Amanda Rheaume, of the the Métis Nation of Ontario
- One of Haiti’s most inspiring and celebrated musical ambassadors. Wesli has earned acclaim across the globe for his appealing music, energizing live performances and charming personality.
The keynote address features an influential figure in the folk music industry who inspires us and shapes the narrative of the conference – in ways unexpected and magical. The Keynote Speaker for FAI 2025 has yet to be revealed.Our global summits are multi-day experiences that bring together thought leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and artists to create meaningful dialogue benefitting the international folk music community.
Official Showcases highlight the best folk music in the world across a vast variety of genres. Over 175 jury-selected artists perform on the largest stages of our conference to an audience of venue bookers, agents, record labels, DJs, media companies, and more.The crowd-favorite of every FAI Conference, Private Showcases give everyone an opportunity to perform. Late at night, hotel guest rooms transform into small stages with hundreds of performances hosted by different organizations.
The theme for its 37th Annual Conference is Illuminate. The Northern Lights serve as a powerful symbol of the interconnectedness between humans, the natural world, and the spiritual realm within Indigenous cultures across Northern Canada.Drawing inspiration from this tradition, we invite our folk community to approach their work with a renewed sense of wonder and awe. By reigniting these fundamental emotions, we can find the passion and purpose to fuel artistic expression and positive social change.