Folk Alliance International (FAI), a global nonprofit dedicated to promoting folk music, has announced the recipients and nominees for the International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs). The awards ceremony will take place on February 1st in Kansas City, MO on the opening night of FAI’s 35th annual conference and will be broadcast online.
This year’s Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards will honor ten-time Grammy nominee Janis Ian. The award will also be given to Josh White and John Prine‘s Oh Boy Records, which celebrated its 40th-anniversary last year.
The show will feature appearances from Grammy nominee and Folk Alliance International Conference keynote speaker Valerie June, The Milk Carton Kids, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist Leyla McCalla, and Mercury Prize nominee Sam Lee.
Among the nominees for the 2023 album, artist, and song of the year are Brandi Carlile, Anaïs Mitchell, Molly Tuttle, Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, Angélique Kidjo, Aoife O’Donovan, Jake Blount, Marcus Mumford, Prateek Kuhad, and more.
This year’s People’s Voice Award will be given to Leyla McCalla. This award is voted on by the public and is a testament to the artist’s popularity and cultural impact. The Rising Tide Award, which recognizes artists under the age of 30, will go to NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Alisa Amador, and the Clearwater Award, sponsored by the Levitt Foundation in an effort to reward environmental stewardship and public leadership in sustainable event production, will go to Shambala Festival.
Several people and organizations from the folk music world will also receive The Spirit of Folk Awards, which are presented to honor and celebrate those who are actively involved in the promotion and preservation of folk music through creative work, community building, and demonstrated leadership.
Click below to view a full list of nominees and award recipients.