Each year the finest of Folk Music is celebrated
at the Ontario Folk Music Awards
This year, we will be honouring our nominees and winners at an awards gala on Sunday, October 16th, 2022, at the Aeolian Hall in London, Ontario.
To nominate yourself/your artist for an award(s), please complete the form, and follow the payment instructions which will be emailed to you. Only one admin fee is collected per form, please feel free to nominate for as many categories as applicable in the form. Filling out a separate form will require a separate application fee to be administered.
There are 5 categories which you may apply for within this form. Please read the criteria for each award carefully before applying. Nominations which do not meet the requirements will not be considered.
The Estelle Klein award has a separate nomination form. Please see below for more information.
General Eligibility Requirements:
- Deadline to apply for all awards: AUGUST 26, 2022
- Eligibility Period: January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021
- Lyrics may be presented/sung in any language
- Artist or 50% of Duo/Group must reside in Ontario or the National Capital Region (see map)
- One physical trophy is awarded per award category, regardless of size of group.
Selection Procedure and Eligibility Requirements:
Song of the year
Song of the Year Award (Formerly known as the ‘Songs From the Heart’ Award)
The Song of the Year Award is presented by Folk Music Ontario. The Song of the Year is awarded for a single or for one track from an album. This award recognizes an artist whose music demonstrates excellence in the craft of songwriting. A songwriter writing alone or in collaboration with others is eligible, as long as one (1) is a current resident of Ontario. A song does not need to contain lyrics to be eligible. Songs submitted must have been released, in any format, during the eligibility period. This award goes only to the composer(s) of the song.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Submission must have original music and lyrics
- Lyric sheets MUST NOT include artist name; if they do the application will be disqualified.
Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award
Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award (Presented by The Ontario Arts Council)
The Colleen Peterson Award is adjudicated by the Ontario Folk Music Awards jury, and approved by representatives of the Ontario Arts Council. Following the selection of the Song of the Year award winner, the next six highest scored applications in the category that meet the eligibility requirements are considered. These are reviewed and scored again to determine the winner of the Colleen Peterson Award. The award is given to an emerging Ontario singer/songwriter in the genres of roots, traditional, folk and country music. The award recognizes winners with a $1000 prize
The Colleen Peterson Award is presented by the Ontario Arts Council. The award was established in 2003 to celebrate the work of an emerging professional singer-songwriter of any age in honour of Colleen Peterson’s contribution to Canadian folk and country music.
ABOUT COLLEEN PETERSON
Colleen had a soaring voice, engaging stage presence and a proven songwriting talent. The recipient of two Juno Awards, Colleen collaborated with a long list of folk, roots and country musicians, and was a founding member of the celebrated group Quartette. After a year-long battle with cancer, Colleen passed away at the age of 45 in 1996, and was inducted posthumously into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
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Must be an emerging artist of any age but with a maximum of 10 years’ experience as a professional musician
- Must be a professional artist (someone who has developed skills through training and/or practice, and is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition, and has a history of public presentation or publication, and seeks payment for their work and actively practises their art, with short breaks in artistic work history allowed)
- Must be an individual singer-songwriter; co-writes by collectives or ensembles are NOT eligible for submission
- Submission must have original music and lyrics
- Must NOT be a previous winner of the Colleen Peterson Award
- Only one song per songwriter will be considered for the Colleen Peterson Award.
- Lyric sheets MUST NOT include artist name; if they do the application will be disqualified.
Album of the Year Award
Album of the Year Award
The Album of the Year Award is presented by Folk Music Ontario. This award is presented to the act (solo, duo or group) for an Ontario Folk Music album, which was released for mass public consumption in its entirety, within the current eligibility period. An album is defined as a collection of several pieces of music made available as a single item. The album can be a special project or commemorative package. Voters and jury members should give consideration to all aspects, including but not limited to, market impact (e.g. sales, spins, YouTube views), artistic performance, production, design, art layout and liner notes. This award is for an album as a whole unit. The award recognizes winners with a $1000 prize.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Album may be presented in any language.
- Album must have more than 5 tracks, or have 30+ minutes of recorded music.
- Must be a professional artist (someone who has developed skills through training and/or practice and who is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition, and has a history of public presentation or publication)
Performing Artist of the Year
Performing Artist of the Year Award
The Performing Artist of the Year Award is presented by Folk Music Ontario, and recognizes outstanding contributions in live performance. This award is presented to the Ontario act (solo, duo or group) displaying the greatest achievements in all facets of entertainment, including but not limited to: live concert performance, touring, continuing to entertain during the pandemic (backyard concerts, drive-in shows, online shows, and live streams), vocal and instrumental performance, fan engagement, leadership and overall impact to the Canadian Folk Music industry, within the current eligibility period. The award recognizes winners with a $1000 prize
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Must be a professional artist (someone who has developed skills through training and/or practice and who is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition, and has a history of public presentation or publication)
- Must have resided continuously in Ontario for at least one year prior to application (applicable to artist or 50% of duo/group)
ACTRA/RACS Recording Artist of the Year
ACTRA RACS Recording Artist of the Year
The ACTRA RACS Recording Artist of the Year Award is presented by ACTRA RACS (Recording Artists’ Collecting Society). This award is presented to a group/duo/solo act displaying the greatest achievements within the current eligibility period. This award is based on the performance of the act, either on record or in person, including but not limited to success at radio, pre-recorded music and vocal and instrumental performances. The award recognizes winners with a $1000 prize.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Open to solo, duo, or group acts on a recording
- Both instrumental and vocal recordings are eligible
- Must submit two tracks that best represent range and performance capability
- Recording(s) must have been released in previous calendar year (i.e., January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 for the 2022 award). Proof of release is required with a link to webpage that has recording available to the public. (e.g. link to Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby)
- Recording must be in folk, roots, global, traditional genres
- Artist must be Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada and must have resided in Canada for at least 12 months prior to application. If act has multiple members, at least 50% must meet this criterion
Estelle Klein Award
Estelle Klein Award
The Estelle Klein Award honours the work of an individual or group that has made significant contributions to Ontario’s folk music community. The award is named after Estelle Klein, a long-time advocate of Canadian folk music and one of the early founders of the folk festival scene in this country.
The Estelle Klein Award winner is determined through a nomination and FMO member vote process. FMO members are encouraged to submit nominations for worthy candidates during the awards submission period. A committee composed of former winners and current FMO board members will select a short list to be presented to the membership for a vote. The Estelle Klein Award honours the work of an individual or group that has made significant contributions to Ontario’s folk music community
Winners are recognized with a registration for that year’s Folk Music Ontario conference for themselves and a partner as well as a lifetime FMO membership. The winner is also featured in an interview at the conference, and in a career retrospective video.
ABOUT ESTELLE KLEIN
Estelle Klein was an advocate and supporter of folk music in Canada and held numerous influential positions with cultural and heritage organizations during her lengthy career.
Klein became the artistic director for the Mariposa Folk Festival from 1964,and remained in the position until 1980.
Her wider view of what constituted folk music influenced the artistic programming and saw the festival include artists such like the Reverend Gary Davis, Inuit throat singing as well as Métis dancers.
New section
NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS
- Nominee must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Nominee must have made a significant contribution to Ontario’s folk music community
- Nominator Statement – why the nominator believes this individual or group should be considered (1000 words max)
- Bio of achievements (250 words max)
- Links to support material – press, recordings, etc. (2 max)
- Website link
- Nominee contact info
Submission Fees
Submission Fees
- Member Submission Fee - $30
- Non-Member Submission Fee - $45
- One application fee per form submission. Applicants can submit to as many awards as they are eligible for, within a single form.
- Submission fees are non-refundable and help to cover application processing.
- There is no fee for nominations for the Estelle Klein Award
- NOTE: Members may not submit on behalf of non-members.
- NOTE: Only applicants that are chosen as nominees will be contacted.