Pharis & Jason Romero Head CFMA Winners List

By FYI Staff

British Columbia folk duo Pharis & Jason Romero topped the list of winners at the 16th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards, presented virtually over two live-stream events on the weekend (April 10 and 11). The Romeros won in three categories, Ensemble of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, and Traditional Singer of the Year (Pharis Romero).

Manitoba’s William Prince was awarded two CFMAs: Contemporary Album of the Year and English Songwriter(s) of the Year, along with Nova Scotia’s Beòlach who were also awarded two CFMAs: Instrumental Group of the Year and Traditional Album of the Year. 

The bilingual CFMAs broadcast, hosted by Jean Hewson and Benoit Bourque, announced all 19 Awards, as well as the presentation of the Slaight Unsung Hero Award to Winnipeg’s Ava Kobrinsky. It also named Charlottetown, PE, as host city for the 2022 CFMAs, after two years of virtual Awards week ceremonies, necessitated by the pandemic.

Here is the full list of 2021 CFMA recipients:

Children’s Album of the Year

Broccoli Farm by Claire Ness (YT)

Contemporary Album of the Year 

Reliever by William Prince (MB)

Contemporary Singer of the Year 

Coco Love Alcorn for Rebirth (ON)

English Songwriter(s) of the Year

William Prince for Reliever (MB)

Ensemble of the Year 

Pharis & Jason Romero for Bet On Love (BC)

French Songwriter(s) of the Year 

Marie-Ève Lapierre-Lemoyne for Onze (QC) 

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year

Leela Gilday for North Star Calling (NWT)

Instrumental Group of the Year   

Beòlach for All Hands (NS)

Instrumental Solo artist of the Year 

Marc Atkinson for Solo (BC)

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year

Noah Derksen pour America, Dreaming (MB)

Producer(s) of the Year 

Chris McKhool & John 'Beetle' Bailey for Refuge (Sultans of String) (ON)

Pushing the Boundaries 

Aerialists for Dear Sienna (ON)

Single of the Year 

Some Kind of Hell by Burnstick (MB)

Solo Artist of the Year 

Julian Taylor for The Ridge (ON)

Traditional Album of the Year 

All Hands by Beòlach (NS)

Traditional Singer of the Year 

Pharis Romero for Bet On Love (BC)

Vocal Group of the Year 

Pharis & Jason Romero for Bet On Love (BC)

World Album of the Year 

Kora flamenca by Zal Sissokho (QC) 

Young Performer(s) of the Year

The Gilberts for The Gilberts: One (NS)

Provincially, artists from Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia received the most awards, with each province having four recipients in total. Nova Scotia had three winning artists, Quebec had two recipients, with Yukon and Northwest Territories artists receiving one award each.

For more information, visit folkawards.ca.

Watch the 2021 CFMA Awards show here