Four musicians are preparing to make their way to the 2023 Ontario Folk Music Awards alongside 13 other nominees on Oct. 15, representing the incredible talent in Ottawa.
The Ontario Folk Music Awards have celebrated many talented folk artists and musicians across the province for 36 years. Among the nominees this year are Mia Kelly, Amanda Rheaume, Angelique Francis, and YAO. Each hails from different corners of the Ottawa-Gatineau area, and all are set to attend the awards ceremony that wraps up the 2023 Folk Music Ontario Conference in London, Ont.
French spoken-word artist YAO is a finalist for the Performing Artist of the Year award. Last year’s award recipient, Amanda Rheaume, a Métis singer-songwriter from Ottawa, is nominated for an ACTRA RACS Recording Artist of the Year award alongside Angelique Francis.
I spoke to Kelly and Francis about their nominations.
Mia Kelly is one of four Ottawa musicians nominated for the Ontario Folk Music Awards. Photo provided by Mia Kelly/Bad Parade.
Kelly, a bilingual singer-songwriter from Gatineau, is up for Album of the Year for her recent album, Garden Through the War. She says it explores human resilience by telling “stories of hardship, strength, coping, and healing.”
“Writing these songs came naturally, telling stories I had encountered along the last few years; some of my own, some of close friends, some of strangers I met travelling,” she says. “When the time came to make this record, I had this collection of songs that were all tied together by hardship and hope.”
Kelly’s music is fuelled by storytelling—and her lyrics prove it. Fired up by a raw, powerful voice, her bittersweet lyrics make you dive deep into your thoughts, emotions, and memories—from watching nostalgic skies to escaping to faraway cities.
She says she feels honoured that her stories and her honesty have resonated with people and that recognition within a community of talented artists feels special.
“As my first record, being recognized by the Folk Music Ontario Awards makes me feel so heard and validated by my community. It is an honour to have this record up there beside artists I look up to and adore.”
Francis, a blues singer from Ottawa, garnered her second Ontario Folk Music Award nomination in the Recording Artist of the Year category for her artistic performance of her album, Long River. The Folk Music Awards are not Francis’s first rodeo—over the last few years, she has won the JUNO Award for Blues Album of the Year, two Canadian Blues Music Awards, a Capital Music Award, and was nominated for several other awards.
Angelique Francis. Photo from the artist’s website.
“It feels like such a whirlwind of accomplishments, and I am so proud of my incredible band and family for all of their hard work and dedication,” she says. “In a similar way, I am a proud Ottawa native, and am thrilled to represent it—both on the national and international stages—and support the amazing talent we have in our city.”
Francis says much of her creation process is done independently, though she relies on countless partners behind the scenes. Her songs inspire passionate emotions of anger, peace, and everything in between, with deep vocals and groovy instrumental melodies.
“There is no one right way to write and compose, and I like to experiment and invent different methods and challenge myself,” she says. “I pour my heart and soul into my music, and am amazed at music’s ability to connect us all, share life’s stories, communicate, break boundaries, help us process and transform pain into joy, and so much more.”
She says she hopes her nomination stands for something bigger than itself.
“I hope that I was nominated because my music was able to reach the hearts and minds of my listeners in this way. I hope people walk away from listening to my music, or attending a concert of mine, with a little more joy.”
The Ontario Folk Music Awards are on Oct. 15 in London, Ont. Registration information and tickets for general admission are available on their website.
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