Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)

Subject: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: greg stephens
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 12:40 PM

There has been much discussion recently about the UK BBC Radio 2 folk awards nominations. Usual sort of criticisms: small furtive incestuous panel of judges, jobs for the boys, why so-an-so- gets in and not someone-or-other, why did such-and-such a track get chosen, it's not even folk. All that kind of thing. I wondered how such things are run in other countries. What happens in the USA, or Canada, or anywhere else you have knowledge of? Do they have awards? What sorts of people get them? Who chooses?
   Spill the beans!

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 10:31 PM

The only requirement in Canada is that the candidate has to have been tremendously successful in the USA. Once it is clear that the candidate has no need of, and probably has come to disdain, any sort of recognition in Canada, he or she will certainly be short-listed for a music award, whether in the folk or some other category. An honorary degree will very likely be in the offing as well, especially if some American institution has already shown it to be appropriate.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: bobad
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 10:55 PM

Last year saw the inauguration of the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

The nominees and winners in the various categories can be seen here

This year's nominees can be seen here

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:12 PM

Dear memyself..I am so tired of attitudes like yours. That post adolesent cynicism that is entirely without basis is such a huge bore. I do not know where in Canada you live, but where I live there are many fine folk and traditional artists who have been recoginized both by their peers and by the public. Your rather petty and ill-informed slant is a great disservice to all Canadian musicians of any genre and I do believe that a good many people are tired of that sort of trite, smug, crap.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: greg stephens
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:32 PM

Well, I'm unfamiliar with the nuances of Canadian irony: but I guess you are saying, GUEST, that you disagree with memyself on a few salient points?

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:54 PM

Jeesh, GUEST, I'm glad you DON'T know where I live!

(Greg: I'm not sure GUEST has quite mastered the nuances of Canadian irony either, otherwise he would surely have perceived that I have implied nothing unfavorable about Canadian musicians, among whom I class myself, but rather am lamenting a lamentable colonial tendency on the part of our elites to reserve the hightest honours for those who have had to leave our country to achieve recognition. Maybe things are changing, and perhaps our GUEST is young enough to think my "post adolesent cynicism" is "entirely without basis". No doubt there's some sour grapes on my part - a possibility which GUEST generously refrained from suggesting).

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 09:19 AM

The Folk Alliance, which serves North America, started their version of the folk awards last year.   They have also honored individuals as well as organizations with Lifetime Achievement awards at their annual convention for some time now.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: gnu
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:00 PM

Bang on, memyself (and thanks for the chuckle, albeit kinda sad).

GUEST: Stan Rogers. Sort that one out and get back to us, eh?

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:06 PM

What is wrong with Stan Rogers Gnu?

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: gnu
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 05:29 PM

Ah... nothing. MUCH to the contrary. That is my point. Why does the Canuck Music industry continue to snub him?.... see above posts by memyself.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 11:55 AM

I also disagree with memyself. We seem to resent Canadians who make it elsewhere. Also, the East Coast Music Awards honour many musicians who are not well known, even in the rest of Canada. I think we need to cover this idea that to be obscure is to be more worthy.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 12:01 PM

Someone tell me - did I express any resentment of "Canadians who make it elsewhere"? Please explain. Did I say that "to be obscure is to be more worthy"? Again, please explain. Or, alternatively, read what I said more carefully.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: gnu
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 04:00 PM

memyself... I don't recall you being around the Café for very long.

Sooo, may offer just a couple of points of advice which you may disregard or dismiss at your pleasure.

Anyone of any intelligence read your posts and realize that any supposed inferences such as those you cite are inaccurate.

Some who post are not intelligent enough or educated enough to compose a post which is truly accurate, giving rise to such supposed inferences. This appears to be particularly true among unnamed GUESTs.

Some who post are trolls looking to get your goat. This also appears to be particularly true among unnamed GUESTs.

I'll just tell you one more. Save this on your clipboard or somewhere handy for Copy & Paste : "______ : That's not what I said. Read what I said more carefully." This will save you a great deal of time within this forum.

BTW... anyone interested can go the the Stan Rogers website and find the petition to request his induction in the Canuck Music Hall of Fame. Juno he shoulda bin by now, eh?

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,memyself
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 04:50 PM

Thanks, gnu. I take your point - although I don't think these GUESTS meant any harm; they just misunderstood what I was saying and responded from the heart. And I got a little sarcastic in reaction, rather than explaining what I meant without irony. There are obviously a number of well-educated, highly-literate people on this forum, but some of us are probably too clever by half. After all, we don't want people to have to pass a test in order to feel they can participate in discussion about folk music. And of course there are different types of intelligence; the ability to accurately interpret text is just one, and not a particularly useful one at that ...

GUESTS: My point is that it often seems that the Canadian "powers-that-be" do not give awards to excellent Canadian performers unless they have had success in the American market, and then they fall all over themselves to award them. At that point in their careers, they really don't need that kind of recognition. Another award from the Canadian establishment is not going to make much difference to the career of Neil Young. However, if Bob the Flyin', Fiddlin' Barber of Bobville were to have someone stand up at a national awards ceremony and say, "This is one of Canada's greatest folk musicians", it might mean some more gigs for ol' Bob; it might even mean a recording contract.

Hope that explains it, because it's all I have time for at the moment ...

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: Beer
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 09:56 AM

One of the top Canadian singer/songwriter is up for best singer-Contemporary and best song writer award. Ron Hynes. I wish him the best of luck.
Beer

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: Beer
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 08:23 AM

Last night's results.
Beer


Winners of 2006 Folk Music Awards

Best Album, Contemporary: Stone & Sand & Sea & Sky, Penny Lang.

Best Album, Traditional: Un peu d'ci, Un peu d'ca, Nicolas Boulerice and Olivier Demers.

Best Songwriter, English: Stephen Fearing for Yellowjacket.

Best Instrumentalist, Solo: Bruce Cockburn for Speechless.

Best Instrumental Group: The McDades for Bloom.

Pushing the Boundaries: Andrew Collins for Little Widgets.

Best Solo Artist: Penny Lang for Stone & Sand & Sea & Sky.

Best Vocal Group: Madrigaia for Pleiades.

Best Ensemble: Mauvais Sort for Koru.

Young Performer of the Year: Sarah Burnell for Sarah'ndipity.

Best Children's Album: Join the Band, Ken Whiteley.

Producer of the Year: Tie between Steve Dawson (Jim Byrnes, House of Refuge) and Mike Roth (Dala, Angels & Thieves).

Best New/Emerging Artist: T. Nile for At My Table.

Best Singer, Contemporary: Jim Byrnes for House of Refuge.

Best Singer, Traditional: James Keelaghan for A Few Simple Verses.

Best Songwriter, Aboriginal: Wayne Lavallee for Green Dress.

Best World Group: The McDades for Bloom.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: Beer
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 08:29 AM

Great for Penny. Well deserved and one hell of a great c/d. My man Ron Hynes didn't win but hay! he is still great.
Beer

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: bobad
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 10:00 AM

It's good to see Penny getting recognition for her work. Her last CD is strong.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 12:12 PM

At the risk of being accused of lack of subtlty, outright stupidity, or merely trolling, I am going state what I infer from one or two previous posts...Awards are generally given only to those who succeed in America. Well established artists do not need awards in order to further careers, Well established artists my disdain Canadian awards... That is my take on some previously expressed opinions. Perhaps the irony was to subtle, but I do believe that I did understand the gist, I just happen to disagree. I believe that many very worthy Canadians have been honoured by "the powers that be". I also agree that many deserving artists have been overlooked but I do not think it is because they did not have international recognition.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,meself (formerly known as memyself)
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 01:41 PM

Fair enough; nothing wrong with disagreeing. However, since I don't know which GUEST you are (why not give yourself a name?), I can't say exactly what it was that gnu or I took exception to in your post, so I won't attempt to tackle that. I do want to make it clear though, that when I speak of the big stars having "disdain" for Canadian awards, I don't mean that they are snobs; I do mean that they might well nurse a little resentment over having had to leave Canada early in their careers in order to achieve something, and not having received much recognition in Canada until after they had been recognized in the States. And then finding themselves being fawned over in Canada.

Also, I want to make it clear that I have no resentment at all toward those stars; most of them I quite admire.

Would I be correct in assuming you are somewhat younger than us middle-aged cranks? If so, that might explain the difference in perception. As I allowed in an earlier post, "maybe things are changing". If you are too young to remember what it was like before the Canadian content regulations were introduced for radio, then perhaps the difference in our take on things is understandable ...

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 02:59 PM

Beer ... there was a write up in today's Saint John Telegraph Journal praising the talents of Penny and saluting her on her award.

biLL

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: Beer
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 03:07 PM

Thanks biLL I will look it up.
Beer

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 12:01 PM

Hi guest memyself. Actually, I am WELL beyond the age of 60 and do remember very well when there were no Canadian content rules.Age is not a factor in my disagreement with you. Sometimes we, as Canadians, are too willing to accuse the award givers of not sharing our taste. However, I do think we do a reasonable job of recognizing many artists from many genres.

Subject: RE: Folk Awards(US, Canada,etc, non UK)
From: GUEST,meself (formerly known as memyself)
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 01:25 PM

Dad? Is that you? (Or is it Mom?)

Just kiddin' ya. I must say, you look younger than your years. You put us middle-aged cranks to shame. Maybe there's hope for us yet.

But now that you've revealed those grey hairs, and shown me that they outnumber mine, I'd better apologize for sounding condescending, if I did. I didn't intend to.

Now, may I again suggest that you give yourself a handle, so we know which GUEST we're speaking to? Just write it into the "From" box after the word "GUEST", before you post your message. And again, apologies if I sound condescending - just trying to be helpful sir (or madam)!

As far as the awards go, you may be right. I didn't really give the matter much thought before I wrote my initial snide remarks, and thought I'd just get an embittered laugh or two. I wasn't seriously setting out a position I thought I was going to have to defend ...