Canadian Folk Music Awards Turn 20: Full Winners List

The Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMAs) turned 20 this year, and they celebrated the milestone anniversary with the 2025 edition of the awards. A series of bilingual concerts were held April 3-6 in Ottawa/Gatineau, the founding city of the event, with different awards handed out every night.

In all, 21 awards were presented in 20 categories, and artists from every Canadian province, representing a wide range of folk, roots and world music styles, were featured. The two double winners were Montreal singer-songwriter Loryn Taggart and Lucy MacNeil. Montreal singer-songwriter Taggart won for solo artist of the year (for her album The Lost Art of Pulling Through) and single of the year, for "Tell Me How," and these victories confirm her impact on the national scene.

Nova Scotian folk artist MacNeil took home the traditional album of the year trophy for Angels Whisper, and was also named traditional singer of the year, a category that will now be known as the Stan Rogers Traditional Singer of the Year Award. Lucy MacNeil is a founding member of the popular East Coast family folk group The Barra MacNeils.

Well-established names on the Canadian folk scene winning awards included Good Lovelies, for vocal group of the year for We Will Never Be the Same (that album saw Joshua Van Tassel and Christine Bougie recognized for producer of the year), and global world music star Kiran Ahluwalia. Current critical favourites Boy Golden and Abigail Lapell were also winners.

For the first time, the young performer of the year award included a $3,000 prize, and this year’s recipient is Mary Frances Leahy for her album First Light. At just 19, Leahy has already performed over 600 shows, often with her famed parents Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy — at just 19 years of age.

The 2025 Unsung Hero Award was presented to Gilles Garand, recognized for over 50 years of dedicated service promoting folk, traditional, and world music from Quebec, both in Canada and internationally.

Over the weekend, CFMA President Graham Lindsey announced that the 21st edition of the Canadian Folk Music Awards will take place in Calgary, April 9-12, 2026.

Here is the complete list of winners.

2025 CFMA Award Recipients by Province

ALBERTA

• Celeigh Cardinal – Boundless Possibilities || Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year (tie)

SASKATCHEWAN

• Jeffery Straker – Great Big Sky || Contemporary Singer of the Year

MANITOBA

• Boy Golden – For Jimmy || Contemporary Album of the Year
• Ruth Moody – Wanderer || English Songwriter(s) of the Year

ONTARIO

• Abigail Lapell – Lullabies || Children’s Album of the Year
• Alanna Jenish – Daleview || Instrumental Composer of the Year
• Good Lovelies – We Will Never Be the Same || Vocal Group of the Year
• Joshua Van Tassel, Christine Bougie (Good Lovelies) – We Will Never Be the Same || Producer of the Year
• Kiran Ahluwalia – Comfort Food || Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award
• Maggie’s Wake – Maggie’s Wake || New/Emerging Artist of the Year
• Mary Frances Leahy – First Light || Young Performer of the Year
• Okavango African Orchestra – Migration || World Traditions Album of the Year
• Tio Chorinho – Tempestuoso || Instrumental Group of the Year

QUÉBEC

• Alexandre Poulin – La somme des êtres aimés || French Songwriter(s) of the Year
• Jeremie Groleau – Uphill || Solo Instrumentalist of the Year
• Loryn Taggart – Tell Me How || Single of the Year
• Loryn Taggart – The Lost Art of Pulling Through || Solo Artist of the Year

NOVA SCOTIA

• Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers – Marks on the Ground || Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year (tie)

• Lucy MacNeil – Angels Whisper || Stan Rogers Traditional Singer of the Year; Traditional Album of the Year

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

• Rum Ragged – Gone Jiggin’ || Ensemble of the Year