Annual Best Of Awards

Best Of Awards:

Album, Song, and Artist of the Year

Final choices (nominees) for Album, Song, and Artist of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs) are compiled from “best of” annual radio and print media lists in the US, Canada, the UK, EU, and Australia, in addition to the year-end Folk DJ Chart. The nominees slate is finalized by a committee comprised of FAI staff and the Awards Committee of the FAI Board. Award winners are determined by FAI’s voting membership and are announced at the IFMAs.

 

Voting for 2022 Song, Album, and Artist of the Year is now open to FAI members only, and closes on January 17, 2023, at 11:59 pm ET. Cast your vote now!

2022 Nominees

Album of the Year

sponsored by Rounder Records

Marchita” by Silvana Estrada
Queen Of Sheba” by Angélique Kidjo and Ibrahim Maalouf
Get on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee” by Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder
Anais Mitchell” by Anais Mitchell
Crooked Tree” by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

2022 Song of the Year sponsored by Sound Royalties

Song of the Year

sponsored by Sound Royalties

Udhero Na” written by Arooj Aftab, performed by Arooj Aftab featuring Anoushka Shankar
Vini Wè” written and performed by Leyla McCalla
Bright Star” written and performed by Anais Mitchell
How” written by Marcus Mumford and Brandi Carlile, performed by Marcus Mumford featuring Brandi Carlile
B61” written and performed by Aoife O’Donovan

Past Recipients

2021

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

“Outside Child”

Allison Russell

Other Nominees:

“They’re Calling Me Home” – Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
“Wary + Strange” – Amythyst Kiah
“Un Canto por México, Vol. 2” – Natalia Lafourcade
“The Fray” – John Smith

 

Song of the Year (sponsored by Yamaha)

Song of the Year (sponsored by Yamaha)

“Changemakers” – 

Crys Matthews

Other Nominees:

“On Solid Ground” – Reggie Harris
“Painted Blue” – Sarah Jarosz
“We Believe You” – Diana Jones
“Call Me A Fool” – Valerie June

 

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

Allison Russell

Other Nominees: 

The Longest Johns

Kalani Pe’a

Arooj Aftab

John Francis Flynn

 

 

 

2020

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

"Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet & Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger"

Kronos Quartet

Other Nominees:

“Bet on Love” – Pharis and Jason Romero

“Old Wow” – Sam Lee

“Spider Tales” – Jake Blount

“Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn” – Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn

 

Song of the Year

Song of the Year

"Peace in Our Hearts"

Eliza Gilkyson

Other Nominees:

“Gone” – Tim Grimm

“Look Long” – Indigo Girls

“South Gotta Change” – Adia Victoria

“The Benefits of Being Alone” – Rose Cousins

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

The War and Treaty 

Other Nominees:

Gina Chavez

John McCutcheon

Samantha Crain

William Prince

2019

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

"We Get By"

Mavis Staples

Other Nominees:

“Even the Sparrow” – Kelly Hunt

“Soar” – Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita

“The Great Irish Songbook” – Dervish

“To Everyone In All The World: A Celebration of Peter Seeger” –  John McCutcheon

Song of the Year

Song of the Year

"Black Myself"

Amythyst Kiah

Other Nominees: 

“All Some Kind of Dream” –  Josh Ritter

“All That’s yet to Come” – Dave Gunning

“Put a Woman in Charge” – Keb’ Mo’ (performed by Keb’ Mo’ and Rosanne Cash)

“Where I Come From” – Patty Griffin

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

The Small Glories

Other Nominees:

Che Apalache

J.S. Ondara

Lula Wiles

Rising Appalachia

2018

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

"Rifles & Rosary Beads"

Mary Gauthier

Other Nominees:

“Secularia” – Eliza Gilkyson

“TÌR: Highland Life & Lore” – Brian Ó hEadhra & Fiona MacKenzie

“El Mal Querer” – Rosaliá

“Dust Dance” – TriContinental

Song of the Year

Song of the Year

"The President Sang Amazing Grace"

By Zoe Mulford, recorded by Joan Baez

Other Nominees:

“Oom Sha La La” – Haley Heynderickx

“SunShiner” – The Mammals

“People Get Old” – Lori McKenna

“I See Gold” – The Good Lovelies

 

 

 

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

I’m With Her

Other Nominees:

William Prince

Wallis Bird

Jeremy Dutcher

Dom Flemons

2017

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

"Freedom Highway"

Rhiannon Giddens

Other Nominees:

“A Stranger In This Time” – Tim Grimm And The Family Band

“Between Earth & Sky” – Lankum

“The Queen of Hearts” – Offa Rex 

“When the Bloom Falls from the Rose” – Sarah Jane Scouten

Song of the Year

Song of the Year

"You Didn't Call My Name"

Molly Tuttle

Other Nominees:

“Hazel” – Andrew Combs

“Salt In The Water” – John Blek

“Tshin an Nitauassim” – Shauit

“Y’all Means All” – John McCutcheon

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

Ordinary Elephant

Other Nominees:

Martin Simpson

Rose Cousins

The War and Treaty

Yola Carter

2016

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

"Undercurrent"

Sarah Jarosz

Other Nominees:

“All These Years” –  Solas

“Auprès du Poêle” – Ten Strings and a Goat Skin

“Nine Pin” – Kaia Kater

“Upland Stories” – Robbie Fulks

Song of the Year

Song of the Year

"Black Man in a White World"

Michael Kiwanuka & Inflo

Other Nominees:

“Ain’t Nobody” – Dori Freeman

“Move Me” – Sara Watkins

“Play By Your Own Rules” – Sam Bush

“We are Love” – The Once & Chris Kirby

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

Parker Millsap

Other Nominees:

John McCutcheon

Irish Mythen

Moddi

Tanya Tagaq

2015

Album of the Year

Album of the Year

"Tomorrow Is My Turn"

Rhiannon Giddens

Other Nominees:

“With the Dawn” – Bella Hardy

“Joe Hill’s Last” – Will John McCutcheon

“Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project” – Jayme Stone

“The Social Music Hour Vol 1” – Spuyten Duyvil

Song of the Year

Song of the Year

"Best Medicine"

The Stray Birds

Other Nominees:

“Get Up” – Caitlin Canty

“Boston Town” – Della Mae

“A Wanderer I’ll Stay” – Pharis & Jason Romero

“River Winding Down The Sweet” – Lowdown

Artist of the Year

Artist of the Year

Darlingside

Other Nominees:

Chuck Brodsky

Fortunate Ones

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton

We Banjo 3