The Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the Year is a Canadian award, presented as part of the Canadian Folk Music Awards to honour the year's best songwriting in Canadian folk music. Unlike many songwriting awards, the nomination is given in consideration of all of the songwriting on a whole album rather than singling out individual songs. Awards are also presented for French Songwriter of the Year and Indigenous Songwriter of the Year.
2000s Year Nominee Album Ref 2005 1st Canadian Folk Music Awards Lynn Miles Love Sweet Love Melwood Cutlery Campfire Connie Kaldor Sky with Nothing to Get in the Way James Keelaghan Then Again Joel Plaskett La De Da 2006 2nd Canadian Folk Music Awards Stephen Fearing Yellowjacket "Veteran Lang tops Canadian folk awards". CBC News, December 11, 2006. Lennie Gallant When We Get There "Wailin' Jennys, Madrigaia nominated for Canadian Folk Music Awards". CBC News, November 1, 2006. Ron Hynes Ron Hynes Romi Mayes Sweet Somethin' Steady Sarah Noni Metzner Daybreak Mourning 2007 3rd Canadian Folk Music Awards Suzie Ungerleider Short Stories Greg Quill, "Toronto roots musicians snag prizes". St. Catharines Standard, December 3, 2007. Jon Brooks Ours and the Shepherds "Bruce Cockburn up for 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards". CBC News, October 17, 2007. Bruce Cockburn Life Short Call Now David Francey Right of Passage Emm Gryner The Summer of High Hopes Keri Latimer, Shelley Marshall Key Principles 2008 4th Canadian Folk Music Awards Corb Lund Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! "Late Toronto fiddler honoured at Folk Music Awards". CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador, November 24, 2008. Tim Hus Bush Pilot Buckaroo "Late fiddler Oliver Schroer leads Canadian Folk Music nominations". CBC News, October 8, 2008. Lindsay Jane Lovers Find Reasons Wyckham Porteous 3AM Garnet Rogers Get a Witness 2009 5th Canadian Folk Music Awards Susan Crowe Greytown Lynn Saxberg, "Folk musicians honoured". Regina Leader-Post, November 23, 2009. Jon Brooks Moth Nor Rust "Results 2009" . Canadian Folk Music Awards. William Hawkins Dancing Alone: Songs by William Hawkins Rob Heath One More Day Above Ground Rob Lutes Truth & Fiction
2010s Year Nominee Album Ref 2010 6th Canadian Folk Music Awards Ian Tamblyn Gyre "The Once wins big in Winnipeg". Ottawa Citizen, November 21, 2010. Amelia Curran Hunter, Hunter Lennie Gallant If We Had A Fire / Le coeur hante Chris MacLean Feet Be Still Justin Rutledge The Early Widows 2011 7th Canadian Folk Music Awards Lynn Miles Fall for Beauty "Lynn Miles delivers a memorable performance". Waterloo Region Record, March 11, 2012. Bruce Cockburn Small Source of Comfort Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, October 22, 2011. David Francey Late Edition Ron Hynes Stealing Genius Mae Moore Folklore 2012 8th Canadian Folk Music Awards Catherine MacLellan Silhouette "Canadian Folk Music Award winners". Roots Music Canada, November 21, 2012. Annie Lou Grandma's Rules for Drinking Jon Brooks Delicate Cages Dala Best Day The Deep Dark Woods The Place I Left Behind Pear Sweet 'n Gritty 2013 9th Canadian Folk Music Awards David Francey So Say We All Brad Wheeler, "Good Lovelies among winners at Canadian Folk Music Awards". The Globe and Mail, November 11, 2013. John Wort Hannam Brambles and Thorns Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, September 29, 2013. Old Man Luedecke Tender Is the Night Lynn Miles Downpour Justin Rutledge Valleyheart 2014 10th Canadian Folk Music Awards Shari Ulrich Everywhere I Go Lynn Saxberg, "Ottawa singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume among folk music award winners". Ottawa Citizen, November 30, 2014. Del Barber Prairieography Lynn Saxberg, "Folkies set to honour their own". Ottawa Citizen, September 25, 2014. James Keelaghan History Lennie Gallant Live Acoustic at the Carleton Chris Ronald Timeline 2015 11th Canadian Folk Music Awards Amelia Curran They Promised You Mercy "Canadian Folk Music Awards recipients announced in Edmonton". CBC News, November 9, 2015. Catherine Allan, Andrew James O'Brien The Bliss — Fortunate Ones Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, September 9, 2015. Jon Brooks The Smiling and Beautiful Countryside Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland Leave No Bridge Unburned Jenn Grant Compostela 2016 12th Canadian Folk Music Awards Donovan Woods Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled "Rail yard labourer-turned-musician David Francey wins big at Canadian Folk Music Awards". Toronto Star, December 3, 2016. Cara Luft, J. D. Edwards Wondrous Traveler — The Small Glories Calum Slingerland, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Announce 2016 Winners". Exclaim!, December 4, 2016. Danny Michel Matadora The Strumbellas Hope Royal Wood Ghost Light 2017 13th Canadian Folk Music Awards Ken Yates Huntsville Sarah Greene, "Six highlights From the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards" . Now, November 20, 2017. Scott Cook Further Down the Line Brock Thiessen, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Reveal 2017 Nominees". Exclaim!, September 21, 2017. Amelia Curran Watershed Stephen Fearing Every Soul's a Sailor Oh Susanna A Girl in Teen City 2018 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards Lynne Hanson, Lynn Miles Heartbreak Song for the Radio — The Lynnes "The LYNNeS, Pharis Romero Win Multiple CFMAs". FYI Music News, December 3, 2018. Noosa Al-Sarraj Wasted Time Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, September 22, 2018. Bruce Cockburn Bone on Bone Dana Sipos Trick of the Light Donovan Woods Both Ways
2020s Year Nominee Album Ref 2020 15th Canadian Folk Music Awards Abigail Lapell Getaway Allie Gregory, "Here Are All the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winners". Exclaim!, April 5, 2020. Ben Caplan, Christian Barry Old Stock "Dave Gunning gets four nominations for Canadian Folk Music Awards". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, November 20, 2019. Lennie Gallant Time Travel Dave Gunning Up Against the Sky Kaia Kater Grenades Cara Luft, J. D. Edwards, Neil Osborne, Catherine MacLellan Assiniboine & The Red — The Small Glories Madeleine Roger Cottonwood Justin Rutledge Passages 2021 16th Canadian Folk Music Awards William Prince Reliever "Pharis & Jason Romero Head CFMA Winners List". FYI Music News, April 11, 2021. Coco Love Alcorn Rebirth Brock Thiessen, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Unveil 2021 Nominees". Exclaim!, December 1, 2020. Basia Bulat Are You in Love? Pharis and Jason Romero Bet on Love Sarah Jane Scouten Confessions Julian Taylor The Ridge 2022 17th Canadian Folk Music Awards Allison Russell Outside Child Heather Kitching, "The Canadian Folk Music Awards 2022 – winners and highlights". Roots Music Canada, April 2, 2022. Scott Cook Tangle of Souls Megan Lapierre, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Announce 2022 Nominees". Exclaim!, September 28, 2021. Rick Fines Solar Powered Too Rob Lutes Come Around Noah Reid Gemini Ian Tamblyn A Longing for Innocence 2023 18th Canadian Folk Music Awards Abigail Lapell Stolen Time "CFMAs Are Handed Out In Vancouver". FYI Music News, April 5, 2023. T. Buckley Frame by Frame Stephen Cooke, "Madison Violet, Shannon & Tony Quinn among 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award nominees". SaltWire Network, October 5, 2022. John Wort Hannam Long Haul Li'l Andy The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter (1925–1930) Matt Patershuk An Honest Effort Yael Wand Saltwater Heartwood 2024 19th Canadian Folk Music Awards Jacob Brodovsky I Love You and I'm Sorry Calum Slingerland, "Here are the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winners". Exclaim!, April 10, 2024. Tim Chaisson, Koady Chaisson, Jake Charron, Colin MacDonald, Carleton Stone House of Dreams Nika Petrosian, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Unveil 2024 Nominees". Exclaim!, October 18, 2023. Noah Derksen Sanctity of Silence Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland I'm Not Crying, You're Crying Dave Gunning The Same Storm Noah Zacharin Points of Light 2025 20th Canadian Folk Music Awards Ruth Moody Wanderer Kerry Doole, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Turn 20: Full Winners List". Billboard, April 8, 2025. Celeigh Cardinal, Brennan Cameron Boundless Possibilities Heather Kitching, "Here are your nominees for the 2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Roots Music Canada, October 30, 2024. Adrian Glynn, Brendan McLeod (The Fugitives) No Help Coming Shaina Hayes Kindergarten Heart Kellie Loder Transitions Ndidi Onukwulu Simple Songs for Complicated Times 2026 21st Canadian Folk Music Awards Terra Spencer Sunset "Here are your 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award winners". Roots Music Canada, April 12, 2026. AHI The Light Behind the Sun Heather Kitching, "Here are your Canadian Folk Music Award nominees for 2025". Roots Music Canada, October 31, 2025. Mia Kelly To Be Clear Shane Pendergast Winter Grace Suzie Ungerleider Among the Evergreens
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