Allison Russell Wins Album of the Year, Artist of the Year at International Folk Music Awards

Singer-songwriter Allison Russell, who’s on a streak of awards-show nominations and wins along with her “Outdoors Youngster” album, received two high awards, artist of the yr and tune of the yr, at Wednesday night time’s International Folk Music Awards.

This system was held as the kickoff to the Folk Alliance International Convention in Kansas Metropolis, MO.

Tune of the yr went to Crys Matthews for “Changemakers.” Matthews carried out at the two-hour present, as did the group Isaac Cates & Ordained and nominees Diana Jones and John Smith.

Russell has stored up a busy awards calendar. Over the weekend, she had been in her native Canada to select up a Juno Award for finest up to date roots album. Monday, she was introduced as being tied for a number one quantity of nominations — three — for the Americana Honors, the place Russell can be up for artist, album and tune of the yr at a ceremony to be held in Nashville in September. The singer was additionally lately nominated for 3 Grammy awards.

“I can not let you know how a lot this implies to me coming from this neighborhood specifically,” Russell mentioned throughout one of her two speeches. “It was at Folk Alliance [in 2001] the place I first met JT [Nero, her partner and sometimes musical collaborator] and so many of the individuals who would turn into an element of my chosen household.

“This can be a lovely neighborhood,” she continued. It’s rising and I’m very proud of the proven fact that we perceive collectively and really imagine that tolerance just isn’t sufficient. Tolerance is for mosquitos. We tolerate mosquitos. People require love… This is sort of a household reunion. We now have the conviction that artwork and music is a vital service and a sacrament. It saves lives. It saved my life. And it reduces hurt in the world. It bridges the gulfs between. It turns concern into love. It’s magic.”

Different high-profile current appearances for Russell embody performing at the MusiCares Particular person of the Year dinner in honor of Joni Mitchell, and singing a duet with Emmylou Harris at the memorial tribute for Naomi Judd Sunday in Nashville, carried dwell on CMT.

Selection named Russell’s “Outdoors Youngster” the finest album of 2021. The Fantasy Data album marked her solo debut after beforehand releasing work with Our Native Daughters (a gaggle with Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah and Leyla McCalla), Birds of Chicago (her group with Nero) and Po’ Woman.

Beforehand introduced honorary awards given out at the Kansas Metropolis ceremony went to accordionist Flaco Jiménez, the late Nanci Griffith, Denver-based people music heart Swallow Hill Music and singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, who was given the Folks’s Voice Award for social and political commentary.

The nominees and winners in the three aggressive classes:

Album of the Year
“They’re Calling Me Residence “by Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
“Cautious + Unusual” by Amythyst Kiah
“Un Canto por México, Vol. 2” by Natalia Lafourcade
“Outdoors Youngster” by Allison Russell
“The Fray by John Smith

Tune of the Year
“On Stable Floor” by Reggie Harris
“Painted Blue” by Sarah Jarosz
“We Imagine You” by Diana Jones
“Name Me A Idiot” by Valerie June
“Changemakers” by Crys Matthews

Artist of the Year
The Longest Johns
Kalani Pe’a
Allison Russell
Arooj Aftab
John Francis Flynn

The complete present may be seen right here:

Mali Obomsawin, a Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist from Odanak Wabanaki First Nation, picked up the Rising Tide Award, launched in 2021 to have fun inspiring new voice below 30. Additionally given out had been the Spirit of Folk Awards, which went to Eugene Rodriguez of Los Cenzontles, artist Louisiana Crimson Scorching Data VP and head of A&R Lilli Lewis, NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner and incapacity rights activist Gaelynn Lea, Canadian Reside Music Affiliation president-CEO Erin Benjamin; Bolivian-American multi-instrumentalist and instrument maker Amado Espinoza and Sound Diplomacy founder Shain Shapiro.