2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Canadian folk music has always been a vital part of the tradition and heritage of the country. Until 2005 there were no awards or recognition given to artists, groups or duos keeping the musical roots of Canada alive. The Canadian Folk Music Awards were therefore created to honor those in the folk music industry. This year, the sixth Canadian Folk Music Awards ceremony was held at the Pantages Playhouse in Winnipeg, on Saturday, 20 November 2010.

Benoit Bourque and Shelagh Rogers hosted the non-televised awards evening, with more than two hundred guests and hopeful nominees attending the prestigious event. There are various categories in the Canadian Folk Music Awards. The band, Beyond Pale, who came in with four nominations, walked away with two of the awards, namely the Pushing the Boundaries Award and the Instrumental Group of the Year. Solo Artist of the Year was won by Amelia Curran, Traditional Singer of the Year was accepted by Yves Lambert and Alexandre Boivin-Caron was awarded the Young Performer of the Year Award. Other winners included John Wort Hannam for Queen’s Hotel (Contemporary Album of the Year), Wendell Ferguson (Instrumental Solo Artists of the Year), Le Vent Du Nord (Ensemble of the Year), Andrew Queen (Children’s Album of the Year), Ian Tamblyn (English Songwriter of the Year), Asani (Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year), Dala (Vocal Group of the Year), Dominic Mancuso (World Artist of the Year – Solo), Francis D’Octobre (French Songwriter of the Year), Steve Dawson (Producer of the Year) and The Once (Traditional Album of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year), Rose Cousins (Contemporary Singer of the Year), Sokoun Trio (World Artist of the Year – Group).

Over and above being introduced to the winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards, audience members had the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking live performances by bands and artists such as Don Ross, David Essig, Heather Bishop, The Once, Shearwater and Stephen Fearing. The Canadian Folk Music Awards pay tribute to a musical genre that is as much as part of history, as it is a genre of the future.