Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah Among 2022 International Folk Music Awards Nominees

Folk Alliance International has announced their nominees for the 2022 International Folk Music Awards. This year's round of honorees were revealed during a special livestream event which aired earlier today (April 7).

The Spirit of Folk Award, which is given to those working to promote and preserve folk music, will be awarded to Eugene Rodriguez of Mexican-American arts academy Los Cenzontles, singer-songwriter "Folk Rock Diva" Lilli Lewis, NPR Music' 2016 Tiny Desk Contest winner and disability activist Gaelynn Lea, Canadian Live Music Association President and CEO Erin Benjamin, Bolivian musician and luthier Amando Espinoza and Shain Shapiro, Founder and Chairman of music consulting company Sound Diplomacy.

The Rising Tide Award, which is awarded to artists under the age of 30 who "inspire others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice," will be awarded to Mali Obomsawin. The bassist, singer, composer and member of indie-folk trio Lula Wiles is also the executive director of the Bomazeen Land Trust nonprofit. That organization provides cultural outreach and education to Abenaki and Wabanaki communities about their ceremonial, historical, agricultural and medicinal traditions and language.

This year's Clearwater Award, which recognizes festivals that prioritize environmental stewardship and leadership in sustainable event production, will be presented to Planet Bluegrass. The Colorado-based organization presents a range of sustainable events, including Telluride Bluegrass Festival and RockyGrass.

Named in honor of Folk Alliance's co-founder, the Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to accomplished accordionist Flaco Jiménez, the late influential singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith, and Denver's Swallow Hill Music. The People's Voice Award, given to "an individual who unabashedly embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public careers," will be presented to singer-songwriter Jason Mraz.

The nominees for the Folk Music Awards' Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year were also announced. Among this year's standout artists are Allison Russell, Sarah Jarosz, Valerie June, Crys Matthews, Amythyst Kiah and Rhiannon Giddens. You can see a full list of nominees for each of those catagories below.

The winners of these three awards, as well as the previous categories, will be presented during a ceremony on May 18, the first day of the 34th annual Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Mo. You can find more information on this year's conference via the Folk Alliance website.

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

Song of the Year Nominees:
“We Believe You” by Diana Jones
“Call Me a Fool” by Valerie June
“On Solid Ground” by Reggie Harris
“Painted Blue” by Sarah Jarosz
“Changemakers” by Crys Matthews

Album of the Year Nominees:
The Fray by John Smith
Wary + Strange by Amythyst Kiah
They’re Calling Me Home by Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
Un Canto por México, Vol. 2 by Natalia Lafourcade
Outside Child by Allison Russell