Folk artists from across the province will be coming to Ottawa’s National Arts Centre on Wednesday, Oct. 15 to celebrate Ontario’s top folk artists’ outstanding work and their contribution to elevating the folk music scene in Ontario.
The awards ceremony, which has been ongoing in different iterations for 31 years, fills a gap in province-specific awards in Ontario, and celebrates the community and music that’s made in the province.
We spoke with artist and Executive Director, Rosalyn Dennett about the awards and the impact it has on Ontario’s folk scene.
“It’s really been an important way for us to celebrate the incredible whole community and music being made in Ontario,” says Dennett.
Rosalyn Dennett. Photo provided.
As of the moment of writing, the ceremony has accounted an increase of over 100 registrations compared to last year’s ceremony, hosted in Mississauga. It has attracted not only artists, but other music industry professionals such as agents, managers, record labels, folk festivals, and concert presenters, showcasing the importance of the value for the entire industry.
This year’s city of choice, Ottawa, has special significance for the organizers.
“The awards [and conference] in Ottawa mean a lot to us. Our head office is in Ottawa. [The] last time we were in Ottawa was in 2016 and for a lot of folks, that was a really amazing event,” Dennett says. “[Ottawa] was amazing at that time, and it’s just gotten better … so coming back gives us an opportunity to engage so many folks working in the music sector, folks working in folk music, and we can’t wait to connect.”
This year’s awards will include two new awards: the Music Video of the Year award and the Culture in Climate award, which will celebrate outstanding commitment to climate and environmental responsibility.
Normally part of the conference, limited space in this year’s venue forced organizers to include them in the ceremony.
The Culture in Climate awards also aims to highlight the work done in that sector by the Ontario folk community and will allow artists and stakeholders to provide policy recommendations, which will be discussed during the conference.
The conference, which will follow the awards ceremony, has almost doubled the 540 registrations from last year and includes Canadian and international members in the industry. Over 56 professional development activities will take place at the conference, with discussions about how the industry has evolved in terms of streaming and social media.
View this post on Instagram
“They all centre around that question of, what do we do now? What is the current state of the industry, and how do we fortify ourselves? And how do we change what we need to change to make sure that it’s a sustainable industry for folks to live and work in,” says Dennett. “So it’s a question on everybody’s mind. It’s not something that we’re prescribing the answers to, but it’s a part of every single discussion that’s taking place at the conference.”
For Dennett, the conference holds a special meaning:
I’ve grown up in the folk community, both as a festival attendee and as a person who makes music. As a musician and an artist, various industry goals have been tied to that community. It’s definitely the honour of my lifetime to do this work. It means a lot to be championing music that is organic, handmade, and has these connections to culture. I think that if you’re not sure if your music is folk, if you’re not sure if you like folk music, check out our website, check out some of the artists that are showcasing at our event this year, and you’re going to see a pretty diverse array of music types all underneath that umbrella. You might not know it, but you might already be a folk fan. There’s a lot of diversity within the genre, and we hope you check it out.”
Those who can’t attend the awards ceremony or conference will also have the opportunity to take part in showcases and a community-focused event that will take place on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 1pm-8pm in collaboration with the Vanier BIA at the St. Charles Market. This event will include live performances as well as a dozen other artists being showcased throughout the festival, including many local artists. A detailed list of performances can be found on the Folk Canada website.
Those in the community or who are artists who are looking to get involved are encouraged to go to folkcanada.com, where you can sign up for a weekly newsletter that highlights opportunities across the industry, including upcoming festivals, funding, and job opportunities, as well as news from community members. Dennett also suggests becoming a member to deepen engagement within the folk industry, as all major decisions go through their members.
The Ontario Folk Music Awards takes place at the National Arts Centre on Oct. 15, 2025. Tickets are sold out.
The Folk Music Ontario Conference is still accepting registrations via the Folk Canada website. Registration ranges in price from $68.07 to $535 and takes place from Oct. 15 to 19 at the Delta Hotels Ottawa City Center, 101 Lyon St. N and is wheelchair accessible. Full conference details can be found here.
Details for all the artist showcases can be found here.
