
We presented the International Folk Music Awards on May 18, 2022, at our conference in Kansas City, MO. We announced the winners of the 2021 Best Of Awards and celebrated the recipients of the 2022 Clearwater, Spirit of Folk, Rising Tide, People’s Voice, and Lifetime Achievement Awards!
If you missed it, the entire show was livestreamed here!
Best Of 2021 Winners
The following are the winners for the 2021 Artist, Album, and Song of the Year. This shortlist is based on US, Canadian, and international industry year-end lists as well as folk DJ airplay. Winners are determined by the voting membership of FAI and the results werE announced during the International Folk Music Awards on May 18 at the Folk Alliance International Conference.
Clearwater Award Recipient (sponsored by Levitt Foundation)
Planet Bluegrass

At each of its respective festivals, Planet Bluegrass incentivizes reuse over recycling. This includes a reusable plate program, annually monitoring and reporting on waste diversion of over 60% (twice that of the national average), employing solar power to offset over 10 tons of CO2 emissions annually, providing composting and compostable bottles, offering free filtered water on site, and donating leftover festival food to local community organizations
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
Living

Legacy

Business/Academic

The People’s Voice Award Recipient
Jason Mraz

A vegan “short supply-chain” organic farmer, Mraz is an investor in Café Gratitude and a supporter of Why Hunger, founded by the late folk singer Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres. To raise awareness about the environment, he has visited Antarctica, endorsed The Nature Conservancy, and participated in Farm Aid. Mraz took part in a non-profit rescue mission in Ghana to liberate children sold into slavery, performed in Myanmar to raise awareness about human trafficking, and was present at Standing Rock.
His own foundation benefits multiple organizations addressing issues he is committed to, and in 2020, Mraz donated all profits from his “Look for the Good” album to Black Lives Matter and other groups working toward equality and justice.
Rising Tide Award Recipient
Mali Obomsawin

Spirit of Folk
Eugene Rodriguez

Lilli Lewis

Gaelynn Lea

Erin Benjamin

Amado Espinoza

Shain Shapiro
