FMO AWARDS 2018

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Songs must have original lyrics – if using music that is written by someone else, you must have permission to use it or show that it is in the public domain
• Songs submitted to the instrumental category must be original music
• A song can only be submitted to a single category, however, multiple songs can be submitted to the same category. A fee applies for each additional song submitted.
• Songs recorded by solo artists, duos, or groups are eligible but the award is presented to the songwriter
• Songs should be well presented but elaborate production is not essential
• Songs may be presented in any language. English translations of the lyrics must be provided
• Both instrumental and vocal music from all folk genres and traditions are eligible
• Must be a professional artist (someone who has developed skills through training and/or practice and who is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition, and has a history of public presentation or publication)
• Must have resided in Ontario or the National Capital Region (see map) for at least 12 months prior to application
• Must be Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• Winners from the previous two years are not eligible

FMO members APPLY HERE   Non-members APPLY HERE

PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Colleen Peterson Award

The Colleen Peterson Award was established by the Ontario Arts Council in 2003 to celebrate the work of an emerging professional singer-songwriter of any age in honour of Colleen Peterson’s contribution to Canadian folk and country music.

The award is given to an emerging Ontario singer/songwriter in the genres of roots, traditional, folk and country music. The winner receives $1000 plus a registration for that year’s Folk Music Ontario conference.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Must be an emerging artist of any age but with a maximum of 10 years’ experience as a professional musician
• Must be a professional artist (someone who has developed skills through training and/or practice, and is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition, and has a history of public presentation or publication, and seeks payment for their work and actively practises their art, with short breaks in artistic work history allowed)
• Must have resided continuously in Ontario for at least one year prior to application
• Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• Must be an individual singer-songwriter; co-writes by collectives or ensembles are NOT eligible for submission
• Submission must have original music and lyrics
• Must NOT be a previous winner of the award
• Must also submit song to Stingray Rising Star and/or Songs From The Heart awards. The OAC does not directly accept submissions for this award

ABOUT COLLEEN PETERSON
Colleen had a soaring voice, engaging stage presence and a proven songwriting talent. The recipient of two Juno Awards, Colleen collaborated with a long list of folk, roots and country musicians, and was a founding member of the celebrated group Quartette.

After a year-long battle with cancer, Colleen passed away at the age of 45 in 1996, and was inducted posthumously into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Recording Artist of the Year

The Recording Artist of the Year was established in 2017 and is sponsored by ACTRA-RACS (Recording Artists’ Collecting Society). This award recognizes the overall artistic performance of a recording artist in the folk, roots, or blues genres. The winner will receive $1000.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Open to solo, duo, or group acts on a recording
• Both instrumental and vocal recordings are eligible
• Must submit two tracks that best represent range and performance capability
• Recording(s) must have been released in previous calendar year (i.e., January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017 for the 2018 award). Proof of release is required with a link to webpage that has recording available to the public. (e.g. link to Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby)
• Recording must be in folk, roots, or blues genres
• Artist must be Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada and must have resided in Canada for at least 12 months prior to application. If act has multiple members, at least 50% must meet this criterion

FMO members APPLY HERE   Non-members APPLY HERE

PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Website Award

The Website Award was established in 2018 and is presented by Bandzoogle. This award recognizes the best web design for a website promoting a performing artist in the folk, roots, or blues genres. The award is given to the artist, duo, or group along with the web designer (if applicable). The winner will receive $250.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Open to solo, duo, or group acts and the web designer. Submissions must be made by the artist, a member of the group or the designer.
• Website will be evaluated on DESIGN (photos, colours, typography, etc.), CONTENT (is site up to date, does it have relevant content for fans, industry, media, etc.), and ORGANIZATION (is it easy to find information on the site). Visit this page for more info.
• Both the web designer and the artist must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada and must have resided in Canada for at least 12 months prior to application. If act has multiple members, at least 50% must meet this criterion.
• The previous year’s winner is not eligible for the current year.

FMO members APPLY HERE   Non-members APPLY HERE

PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Live Music Award

The Live Music Award was established in 2018 and is sponsored by Music Canada Live. This award is given to a live music venue or festival that is recognized for excellence within the Canadian folk, roots, or blues scene. The winner will receive $1000.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Open to venues and festivals that present folk, roots, and/or blues music
• Preference is given to venues and festivals with a general practice of supporting performers with financial remuneration
• Venue or festival must be located in Canada
• Submissions will be evaluated based on a write-up outlining why the venue or festival deserves to be recognized with this award. Applicants should consider aspects such as inclusivity (including accessibility), diversity (i.e. gender balance, regional representation of artists programmed, etc.), connection to local community, environmental stewardship, etc. or any other aspect that they feel makes their venue or festival stand out
• Applicants may also submit up to two letters of support (from community leaders, volunteers, audience members, performing artists, etc.)

FMO members APPLY HERE   Non-members APPLY HERE

PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Estelle Klein Award

The Estelle Klein Award honours the work of an individual or group that has made significant contributions to Ontario’s folk music community. The award is named after Estelle Klein, a long-time advocate of Canadian folk music and one of the early founders of the folk festival scene in this country.

Winners are recognized with a registration for that year’s Folk Music Ontario conference for themselves and a partner as well as a lifetime FMO membership. The winner is also featured in the Conference Program edition of Folk Prints magazine, at an interview at the FMO Awards brunch, and in a career retrospective video.

NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS

• Any FMO member may submit a nomination
• Nominee must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Nominee must have made a significant contribution to Ontario’s folk music community
• Nominator Statement – why the nominator believes this individual or group should be considered (1000 words max)
• Bio of achievements (250 words max)
• Links to support material – press, recordings, etc. (2 max)
• Website link
• Nominee contact info

SUBMIT NOMINATION

PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Taylor Mitchell Bursary

The Taylor Mitchell Bursary was established in 2010 by Emily Mitchell, in memory of her daughter, Canadian songwriter Taylor Mitchell. Initially funded for five years (2010-2014), the bursary received additional funding, allowing it to be awarded through the 2019 conference. The bursary is to support one participant in the Performer Stream of the Developing Artist Program who might otherwise be prevented from taking part.

The bursary recipient receives up to $500 towards costs associated with attending the FMO conference and participating in the Performer Stream of the Developing Artist Program.