Judges for the 2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards will be assessing some 451 submissions over the next few months to determine which will be named award finalists.
“We are very pleased with the number of submissions we have received this year,” says CFMA director Grit Laskin. “This is one of the biggest years on record, clearly illustrating that folk music is alive and vibrant and ever growing in popularity in Canada. We can’t wait to hear what we’ve got!”
Now that the submissions are in, the process of choosing judges has commenced. “It is our policy to wait until we see what we have for submissions before naming our jurors,” Laskin explains. “That way we can assure that the jurors we choose have the specific knowledge required.”
The judging process is similar to that of the two-stage elimination model used by the Juno Awards. A five-member jury is named for each one of the categories. The juries will be assessing submissions in 17 categories this year, as follows: Album of the Year (traditional, contemporary and children’s); Singer of the Year (traditional and contemporary); Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year; Instrumental Group of the Year; Vocal Group of the Year; Ensemble of the Year; Solo Artist of the Year; English Songwriter of the Year; French Songwriter of the Year; World Group of the Year; New/Emerging Artist of the Year; Producer of the Year; Pushing the Boundaries (to recognize a solo artist, duo or group taking creative risks to create folk-based music that is innovative, original and imaginative); and Young Performer of the Year (19 or under). Two categories, Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year and World Solo Artist of the Year, did not receive the required minimum number of submissions.
Finalists in all categories will be announced in early October. Meanwhile, plans for the awards celebration, to take place in Saint John, New Brunswick November 15 through 17, are well underway. Dubbed “Folk on the Water,” it promises to be a jam-packed showcase of the best Canadian folk music has to offer, including nominee showcases, film screenings and the awards presentation gala, as well as a festival of activities planned by the local organizing committee for the weeks leading up to the weekend. More details will be released shortly. http://folkawards.ca/
