Thousands of artists, music industry professionals, and folkies from around the world flocked to Montreal over the weekend for the annual Folk Alliance International (FAI) conference, which kicked off on Wednesday with the International Folk Music Awards.

Following the blockbuster success of the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, which helped bring folk into the mainstream spotlight, as well as a recent explosion of up-and-coming folk artists on social media (like Jesse Welles, who was recently profiled by the New York Times), folk music is perhaps more relevant now than it’s been in several decades—and with so much to write protest songs about these days, that’s probably a good thing. That was clear from the sheer volume of attendees that flooded the Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel, nearly half of whom travelled to Montreal for their first Folk Alliance.

Even before the conference began, FAI honored the spirit of folk music and its deep ties to social movements by changing venues due to an ongoing workers’ strike. “As an organization that values ethical practices and supports workers’ rights, we believe this is the right choice to align with our principles and commitment to our community,” FAI said in its announcement.

Scores of attendees arrived in Quebec on Wednesday for a weekend that featured enlightening panel discussions, educational presentations, and engaging “peer sessions” covering a wide range of topics during the day, followed by a plethora of official showcase performances in the evening, plus informal jam sessions. The real party didn’t start until 10 p.m., however, as the hotel came alive with four floors of private showcases. Every hotel room hosted intimate 30-minute sets by thousands of folk, folk-adjacent, and frankly not-that-folk acts from around the world lasting until 3 a.m.

This was less than half of the Saturday late-night lineup.

On Wednesday, the 2025 International Folk Music Awards celebrated some of the most influential figures in folk music. Winners included Crys Matthews (Artist of the Year), Susan Werner’s Halfway to Houston (Album of the Year), and “$20 Bill (for George Floyd)” by Tom Prasada-Rao, performed by Dan Navarro and Janiva Magness (Song of the Year). The Clearwater Award honored River Roads Festival for environmental leadership, while OKAN received the Rising Tide Award for their impact as emerging artists. Gina Chavez earned the People’s Voice Award for her social and political engagement, and the Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards recognized the Indigo Girls (Living), Lesley Riddle (Legacy), and Songlines (Business/Academic).

International Folk Music Awards 2025

The conference began in earnest on Thursday with a full day of panels and presentations, including a live interview with keynote speaker Allison Russel. plus a full night of showcase sets.

Allison Russel Keynote Interview With NPR’s Ann Powers

Friday featured additional sessions and a legal summit hosted by the American Bar Association‘s Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries. Top music attorneys from the U.S. and Canada, as well as talent agents, managers, accountants, and more offered practical guidance for both artists and industry professionals. Topics included building your dream team, essential info for touring musicians, artificial intelligence in the music industry, and more. Another highlight of the legal summit was a brief performance by Steve Poltz, whose song “Folksinger” touched on many of the perils of life on the road discussed by the panel of lawyers.

Steve Poltz performs at the ABA Legal Summit during the 2025 FAI conference.

Poltz, who had played a small private showcase at 1:30 a.m. the night before, later performed at an official showcase of artists represented by Madison House, which featured a number of standout sets including Australian sing-songwriter Bobby Alu, Scottish indie-folk band Elephant Sessions, Canadian contemporary folk ensemble The East Pointers, Bozeman, MT native Madeline Hawthorne, and Canadian “trash folk” bandleader Lisa LeBlanc. It being a folk conference, Poltz wove entertaining stories into his set, including one about recording with Jewel at Neil Young‘s ranch and how “he could not believe how much I could eat!”

Meanwhile, indigenous artists from around the globe performed down the hall, including The North Sound from Saskatoon, TE KAAHU from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Sara Curruchich from Guatemala, Adrian Sutherland from Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario, and more.

Later in the night, Steve Poltz returned to the stage for his final set of the weekend (his fourth if you include the legal summit), except there was no actual stage. Rather, he played songs and told stories for a small audience at the Bose-sponsored Listening Lounge After Hours, a room that was masterfully curated by Bay Area concert promoter KC Turner.

The conference wound down on Saturday with a final day of presentations and a final night of showcase performances, but those who stuck around for Sunday were also able to enjoy a private screening of A Complete Unknown at a local cinema and a closing party.

When people hear the term “folk music,” many imagine a white man with a guitar, but every culture has its own folk music, and FAI did an excellent job highlighting the diversity of folk musical traditions. From indigenous communities to LGBTQ artists and beyond, marginalized voices from around the world were well represented—as were multiple generations, with acts ranging from nonagenarian composer David Amram and 89-year-old fiddler Gilles Losier to bluegrass up-and-comers Mountain Grass Unit and the Cody Sisters, who are both still in college.

David Amram Private Showcase Performance

[Video: Steve Ramm]

Far from your average music festival, Folk Alliance International was a jam-packed celebration of all things folk. With an overwhelming lineup of incredible artists from around the world, plus three days of informative panels with experts from the folk music industry, the conference reaffirmed that folk music isn’t just a genre—it’s a living, breathing tradition that evolves with each new generation. As artists and industry professionals alike shared songs, stories, and strategies, the 2025 Folk Alliance International conference served as a vibrant reminder that folk music’s power to connect, uplift, and inspire is as vital today as ever before.

 

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