Allison Russell Wins Gigantic at 2022 Worldwide Folk Music Awards: Corpulent Winners List

Allison Russell received each and each artist of the yr and album of the yr at the 2022 Worldwide Folk Music Awards, which had been supplied Wednesday (May 18), the outlet night of the 34th annual Folk Alliance Worldwide Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

Russell took album of the yr for her first solo album, Launch air Baby, which has been an awards magnet in most standard months. Closing November, it modified into as soon as nominated for a Grammy for simplest Americana album. On Saturday, it received a Juno Award in Russell’s native Canada for as a lot as date roots album of the yr. On Monday, it grew to alter into an Americana Honors & Awards nominee for album of the yr.

Crys Matthews’ “Changemakers” garnered tune of the yr honors. Matthews performed on the repeat, as did fellow nominees John Smith and Diana Jones. The repeat opened with a tune by gospel artist Isaac Cates & Ordained.

Accordionist Flaco Jiménez, the unhurried songwriter and interpreter Nanci Griffith, and Denver-primarily based folk track heart Swallow Hill Music had been this yr’s recipients of the Elaine Weissman lifetime success awards. The awards are supplied every yr to honor the cultural affect of legendary folk track figures.

Jason Mraz, acknowledged for his attention to conservation, human rights and LGBTQIA+ points, got The Other folks’s Command Award, which is supplied to an particular person that “unabashedly embraces social and political commentary of their inventive work and public careers.” Previous recipients consist of Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Ani DiFranco and Bruce Cockburn.

On receiving the award, Mraz said, “I modified into as soon as somewhat scared before all the pieces, thinking I’m too younger for this award, that I haven’t executed or said passable. Then I realized the following tips and feelings by no plan go away, that nagging belief that I haven’t executed passable. However it’s that nagging belief that’s an indication that we smooth personal energy to present and deserve to and might just.”

Mali Obomsawin, a Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist, member of the band Lula Wiles and journalist, got the Rising Tide Award. The award modified into as soon as launched in 2021 to celebrate a recent expertise (below age 30) artist who conjures up others by embodying the values and beliefs of the folk neighborhood.

The 2022 recipients of the Spirit of Folk Awards integrated musician, educator and documentary producer Eugene Rodriguez of Los Cenzontles; composer, producer, performing artist and Louisiana Crimson Scorching Recordsdata vp and head of A&R Lilli Lewis; NPR Exiguous Desk contest winner, musician and incapacity rights activist Gaelynn Lea; Canadian Reside Music Association president & CEO Erin Benjamin; Bolivian-American multi-instrumentalist, composer and instrument maker Amado Espinoza; and Sound Diplomacy founder Shain Shapiro. These awards are supplied to honor folks and organizations actively all for the promotion and preservation of folk track.

Colorado-primarily based Planet Bluegrass got the Clearwater Award, which is supplied to a festival that prioritizes environmental stewardship and demonstrates public leadership in sustainable occasion manufacturing.

Angela Net page and Dr. Johnathan Øverby had been inducted into the Folk DJ Hall of Popularity, which modified into as soon as established to acknowledge radio DJs who personal made prominent contributions to the preservation, promotion and presentation of folk track. Net page has hosted Folk Plus since the early 1990s on hydro-powered WJFF 90.5 FM Radio Catskill in Jeffersonville, N.Y. Dr. Øverby is a DJ and Wisconsin Public Radio host and a well known ethnomusicologist and scholar.

Folk Alliance Worldwide modified into as soon as founded in 1989. Its extra than 3,000 members list a world neighborhood of artists, agents, managers, labels, publicists, arts directors, venues, fairs and dwell efficiency series presenters.

Folk Alliance Worldwide produces the arena’s largest convention for the folk track industry, the Folk Alliance Worldwide Conference; the Worldwide Folk Music Awards; an artist-in-situation program; the Folk ExChange market style program; the Ethno USA gathering (on behalf of JM Worldwide); neighborhood outreach; and a Finest Folk dwell efficiency series.

Folk Alliance Worldwide defines folk broadly as “the track of the oldsters” (reflective of any neighborhood they’re from), and programs a numerous array of sub genres including Appalachian, Americana, blues, bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, world roots, hip-hop, identical outdated-time, singer-songwriter, spoken discover, dilapidated, zydeco, and varied fusions.

Listed below are the winners in key lessons:

Artist of the yr

The Longest Johns


Kalani Pe’a

WINNER: Allison Russell

Arooj Aftab


John Francis Flynn

Album of the yr

They’re Calling Me Home, Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi

Cautious + Weird and wonderful, Amythyst Kiah

Un Canto por México, Vol. 2, Natalia Lafourcade

WINNER: Launch air Baby, Allison Russell

The Fray, John Smith

Music of the yr

“On Stable Ground,” Reggie Harris


“Painted Blue,” Sarah Jarosz


“We Have You,” Diana Jones


“Name Me A Idiot,” Valerie June

WINNER: “Changemakers,” Crys Matthews