Manitoba Artists Land 12 Canadian Folk Music Award Nods

Manitoba’s internationally-acclaimed roots community continues to shine this year, landing a dozen Canadian Folk Music Award nominations. The nominations were announced on October 19 in Toronto and awards will be handed out at a gala event on December 4 at Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre. This is Manitoba’s strongest showing at the CFMAs since their inception in 2005.
 

Juno Award-winning roots trio The Wailin’ Jennys and their co-founder, Ruth Moody, are up for a combined six awards. The Jennys are nominated for Vocal Group of the Year and Ensemble of the Year, while their latest recording, Bright Morning Stars, got a nod for producers Mark Howard and David Travers-Smith. Moody, meanwhile, is up for Solo Artist of the Year, New/Emerging Artist of the Year, and the Pushing the Boundaries award on the strength of her Juno-nominated solo effort, The Garden.
 

Vince Fontaine and Don Amero are both nominated for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year for their respective releases, Songs for Turtle Island and The Long Way Home. Amero won in this category in 2009 for his album, Deepening.
 

Francophone quartet Les Surveillantes picked up a nomination for French Songwriter of the Year for their CD, La racine carrée du Coeur.
 

Singer/songwriter Cat Jahnke is up for Contemporary Singer of the Year for The Stores are Taking Their Toll.
 

Latin jazz act Trio Bembe is up for World Artist of the Year – Group for their sophomore release, Oh My Soul.


Steve Bell, Dave Zeglinski, and Murray Pulver share a nod for Producer of the Year for their work on Bell's latest release, Kindness.
 

Expat duo Twilight Hotel, which now makes its home in Texas, is up for two awards, including Contemporary Album of the Year and Pushing the Boundaries for When the Wolves Go Blind.
 

Many of these artists are also up for Western Canadian Music Awards, which will be handed out October 23 in Whitehorse, including Ruth Moody, Vince Fontaine, Don Amero, Les Surveillantes, and Trio Bembe.
 

Founded in 2005, the CFMAs recognize Canada’s outstanding writers, producers and performers of folk music, and the artists who are expanding the genre in innovative and exciting ways. For more information about the CFMAs, please visit folkawards.ca.
 

2011 CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS – MANITOBA NOMINEES
 

CONTEMPORARY SINGER OF THE YEAR
Cat Jahnke - The Stories are Taking Their Toll
 

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Wailin' Jennys - Bright Morning Stars
 

ENSEMBLE OF THE YEAR
The Wailin' Jennys - Bright Morning Stars
 

SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ruth Moody - The Garden
 

FRENCH SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Les Surveillantes - La racine carrée du coeur
 

ABORIGINAL SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Vince Fontaine - Songs For Turtle Island Don Amero - The Long Way Home
 

WORLD ARTIST OF THE YEAR - GROUP
Trio Bembe - Oh My Soul
 

NEW/EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ruth Moody - The Garden
 

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Steve Bell, Dave Zeglinski, Murray Pulver - Kindness (Steve Bell)
Mark Howard, David Travers-Smith - Bright Morning Stars (The Wailin' Jennys)
 

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
Ruth Moody - The Garden