resource
Update
event
FAI 2024
NEWS
Partner
Region
FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL HELD INTERNATIONAL FOLK MUSIC AWARDS TONIGHT, KICKING OFF 38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
January 22, 2026
resource
Update
event
FAI 2024
NEWS
Partner
Region
FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL HELDINTERNATIONAL FOLK MUSIC AWARDS TONIGHT,
KICKING OFF 38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
BEST OF 2025 AWARDS WENT TO CARSIEBLANTON, CRYS MATTHEWS,
THE BALTIC SISTERS AND I’M WITH HER, WHICH TAKES HOME TWOAWARDS
AWARDS ALSO BESTOWED TO TAJ MAHAL,CLIFTON CHENIER, KYSHONA AND YASMIN WILLIAMS, AMONG OTHERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS BIG FREEDIA AND TANK(OF TANK & THE BANGAS) SET FOR TOMORROW AT CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS
KansasCity, MO and New Orleans, LA (January 21, 2026) — FolkAlliance International (FAI), a 501(c)3 and the foremost global nonprofitfor folk music, tonight held the International Folk Music Awards, kicking offFAI’s38th annual conference that features over 125 other events.
Carsie Balton, who makes “open hearted protest” music (NPR); and I’mWith Her, the trio made up of Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and AoifeO'Donovan tied for Artist of the Year (sponsored by the FolkAmericana Roots Hall of Fame), both receiving the award. I’mWith Her picked up a second award for album of the year with Wildand Clear and Blue (Rounder Records). The trio had previously won Album ofthe Year in 2019 while Jarosz and O’Donovanare previous victors for their solo music; Jarosz and O’Donovan each have three solo nominations while Sara Watkinshas one. Crys Matthews took home Song of the Year for “SleevesUp,” her third award.
TheAwards live-streamed via Folk Alliance International’s YouTube (WATCH/SHARE):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UduodoB_YY
Highres photos from the awards:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SveptsYudpB9CDJi_uPWqzTJO_-wGjJT?usp=sharing
Värav/ Vārti / Vartai by The BalticSisters, a cross-border group that sings Lithuanian multipart songs,as well as music from Estonia and Latvia won the inaugural Global Folk Album Award.FAI worked closely in partnership with global music premier magazine Songlines Magazine to present and curate the nomineesto honor the work of global talent and draw attention to the important creativework happening that may be overlooked by the North American folk scene.
Uponreceiving the award for Artist of the Year, I’m with Her’sSarah Jarosz said, “Hey Folk Alliance, thank you so muchfor this award! We’reso stoked!” Aoife O’Donovan added, “Artist of the Year, what a huge honor.”
LifetimeAchievement Awards were granted to five-time GRAMMYAward-winner Taj Mahal; zydeco originator Clifton Chenier, subject of both a forthcomingcareer-spanning box set on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and a major tributealbum featuring the Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, and others; and Louisiana Folk Roots, founded by Dewey Balfa’sdaughter, which celebrates the joie de vivre of Cajun and Creole cultures.
Inaccepting the award, Taj Mahal said, “Icannot tell you how much it’sa pleasure to receive this wonderful award. I’ve been enjoying making music for 75 years. As I approachmy 84th birthday, I’vestill got a lot to go. I appreciate all y’all remembering that it’s never in somebody’s shadow, it’sstanding in their light.”
C.J. Chenier performed andaccepted the award on behalf of his father, playing an accordion that Cliftonhad gifted him in the 1980s. “It was already old then!,” he exclaimed, continuing, “Thiswas his favorite accordion.”
“One of the country’smost imaginative young solo guitarists” (New York Times), Yasmin Williamswas honored with The Rising Tide Award (sponsored by theLevitt Foundation), which celebrates artists who inspire others byembodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creativework, community role, and public voice.
Williamsreflected on her experiences, saying, “Speaking out against inequity andinjustice should be just as important to a folk musician as the music that theymake. It’san equal part of our job.”
ThePeople’s Voice Award,which is presented to an individual who unabashedly embraces social andpolitical commentary in their creative work and public careers, was awarded to Kyshona, who is known for her “heartfelt empathy” and “powerful,lyrical voice” (NPR Music)
Spiritof Folk Awards went to Laura Thomas, whose ComboPlateBooking has spanned a quarter century; Cultural Heritage Manager for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Rachel Ornelas; FAI’sAlex Mallett,who has served the Folk Alliance International community with unwaveringdedication, currently as Deputy Director, for the past decade; and Cindy Cogbill, who has dedicated her career tobuilding community through music, leadership, and collaboration in leadershiproles with FAI and Memphis’ OvertonPark Shell. The Spirit of Folk Awards are presented to honor and celebratepeople and organizations actively involved in the promotion and preservation offolk music through their creative work, their community building, and theirdemonstrated leadership.
Mallettsaid, “When I stumbled into my first Folk Alliance in 2013, I cameat the invitation of a friend, as a musician, and I just had no idea thejourney that I would be on. I want everyone to know that this is a reallyspecial and rarified and magical place. And it’s magical because of the people that are here.”
Inaccepting her award, Cogbill recognized her mentor Louis Meyers, formerexecutive director of Folk Alliance International, saying, “Thatjob became my community, my bridesmaids, my adopted family, my people, they’rethe ones that taught me how to grieve, how to celebrate, how to care for eachother.”
TheClearwater Award is presented to a festival thatprioritizes environmental stewardship and demonstrates public leadership insustainable event production. Edmonton Folk Music Festival,which has worked for decades to innovate, protect the park where it’sheld, and educate audiences, was awarded.
EdmontonFolk Fest’sTerry Wickhamsaid, “last time in 2020 we were in New Orleans, I walked into ashowcase and there was Sierra Ferrell. So I trust you’ll all have a great time this weekend discovering newtalent, a specialty of the Folk Alliance.”
TheRumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux, Jr.served as the house band as performers included Kyshona,Williams, Bruce ‘Sunpie’ Barnes, LeylaMcCalla (who previously won the People’sVoice Award in 2022), and CJ Chenier, the latterpaying tribute to his father. Featured presenters included Ani DiFranco, Tank(of Tank and the Bangas), McCalla, Reid Wick (outgoing FAI Boardmember who also works with the Recording Academy), and TheMilk Carton Kids.
Atthe awards, four DJs were inducted into the Folk Radio Hall of Fame, including Susan Forbes Hansen (WHUS), Kieran Hanrahan (RTE Radio1), Ron Olesko (Folk Music Notebook), and Michael Stock (WLRN).
Fromthe stage, Folk Alliance International Executive DirectorJennifer Roe said, “This city [New Orleans] teaches us that music carries griefand joy side by side, that it remembers where we’ve been and insists on where we’re going. From porch songs to protest anthems, folk musichas always risen in hard times. It tells the truth. It builds connection. Ithelps people endure and imagine something better.”
Shecontinued, “In this moment of social and cultural urgency, we arecalled to rise up as artists, activists, and allies. To follow tradition, tochallenge it when needed, and to lift one another when the road gets heavy.Whether through quiet storytelling or collective shout, this is our secondline, our shared movement forward. Tonight, we honor people who embody thatspirit. The International Folk Music Awards celebrate artists, leaders, andadvocates whose work strengthens our community.”
FolkAlliance International Board of Directors President Ashley Shabankarehsaid, “This year’stheme Rise Up could not be more timely. We are living in an era of profoundpolitical and social turbulence. We’veseen families torn apart, communities target, violence normalized and horrifictragedies unfold with heartbreaking regularity. In moments like these,gathering is not a luxury, it’sa necessity. Folk music has always risen to meet moments like these. Folk musicis also inherently political and it has long served as a vehicle for protest,for truth-telling, for documenting everyday struggles for justice, dignity, andequality.”
FAImembers submitted recordings for the 2026 International Folk Music Awards(IFMAs) in the best-of-the-year categories (Song, Album, and Artist). Newrecordings released between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025 wereeligible. This new procedure allows for a more democratic, community-ledapproach to the IFMAs.
Bestof the year nominees and winners:
Artistof the Year
Dobro master Abbie Gardner;
*I’mWith Her
*Carsie Blanton,
“hopeful, impassioned” songwriter CrysMatthews;
The“beautiful, soulful, exquisitely simple, and totallyessential” (Bandcamp Daily) music of Ordinary Elephant
SamRobbins, who has played the Kerrville, Falcon Ridge and Philadelphia FolkFestivals.
Albumof the Year Nominees (winner marked with an asterisk)
Arcadia (Alison Krauss & Union Station,Down the Road Records)
CHURCH (Flamy Grant, Shamus Records/PalmValley Music)
RoomOn The Porch (Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo', ConcordRecords)
Reclamation(Crys Matthews)
*Wild and Clear and Blue (I'm With Her, RounderRecords)
WoodyAt Home: Volumes 1 + 2 (Woody Guthrie,Shamus Records)
Songof the Year
“Ain't Afraid To Die” (Written andPerformed by Woody Guthrie)
“Crying In The Night” (Written byStevie Nicks; Performed by Andrew Bird & Madison Cunningham)
“I BOUGHT ME A PRESIDENT” (Written byCathy Fink & Tom Paxton; Performed by Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer)
“Room On The Porch” (Written by KevinR. Moore, Henry St. Claire Fredericks, Jr., Ruby Amanfu, Ahmen Mahal; Performedby Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Ruby Amanfu)
*“Sleeves Up” (Written and Performed by Crys Matthews)
“Sisters Of The Night Watch” (Writtenby Aoife O’Donovan,Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz; Performed by I'm With Her)
GlobalFolk Album Award, in partnership with Songlines Magazine
Atthe Feet of the Beloved (Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, Real WorldRecords)
Bagola (Da Kali, One World Records)
Niepraudzivaya (Hajda Banda)
Talesof Earth and Sun (Rastak)
*Värav / Vārti / Vartai (The BalticSisters, CPL-Music)
Vié Kaz(Votia, ajabu!)
Hip-hopartist and TV personality Big Freedia, known forher “radically inclusive, celebratory performances” (NPR); and2025 GRAMMY Award-winner Tank (of Tank and the Bangas), both of New Orleans,are the conference’s2026 keynote speakers. The keynote will be live-streamed on Folk AllianceInternational's YouTube channel at noon Central: https://www.youtube.com/folkalliance
Panelistswho will participate in programming include Ani DiFranco, Gina Chavez, Irma Thomas, LeylaMcCalla, NPR Music writer and renowned authorAnn Powers, SmithsonianFolkways Recordings executive director MaureenLoughran, American Routes’ Nick Spitzer,Kyshona, and many more.
Theconference’stheme in 2026 is Rise Up.
Highlightsof programming at the conference include:
*Songs that Carry Us: Indigenous Perspectives on Folk Tradition
*Beyond “Woke”:Rethinking Lead Belly in the Era of Cowboy Carter
*Face the Music: Collective Power for Equitable Action
*Harmonizing for Change: Organizing for Impact - Lessons from the Field
*Radio Silence: Keeping Folk Music On-Air & In-Concert Despite Lost FederalFunding
*Human Art in a Generative AI Age
Fullschedule of programming: https://www.folk.org/conference/schedule
FolkAlliance International previously unveiled the lineup of Official Showcases,consisting of 150-plus artists representing 34 countries or countries oforigin.
FAIhas added several new Official Showcase Artists to the lineup, including:
Highlightsof Official Showcases:
*NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert and Newport Folk Fest alums, TheMilk Carton Kids, who “sing with harmonies steeped in the great duos of days goneby, like The Everly Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel” (NPR Music)
*Two-time GRAMMY winners Lost Bayou Ramblers, whowere featured in the PBS show American Epic andwhose evolution as a progressive Louisiana French band rooted in Cajuntraditions continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectationsas well as cultural preconceptions;
*Leyla McCalla, whose “magnificently transparent music holdstidings of family, memory, solitude and the inexorability of time: weightythoughts handled with the lightest touch imaginable” (NewYork Times);
*Bruce Sudano,hitmaker whose songs have been recorded by Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, RebaMcEntire, and Michael Jackson;
*Two-time GRAMMY winners Terrance Simien and the ZydecoExperience, whose collaboration with Randy Newman was featured inthe Disney film The Princess and the Frog;
*The “electrifying” (NPR) SanFrancisco songwriter Chuck Prophet, who recently recovered from stagefour lymphoma;
*Kyshona, whose music conveys a “righteousconviction and a strong sense of her own voice” (NPR Music);
*Pieta Brown, “self-styled poetess, folk goddess andcountry waif [whose] music resonates with a seductive simplicity and lyricalgrace” (BBC);
*key Egyptian revolutionary, rock artist, and human rights defender Ramy Essam, now living in exile in Sweden and Finland;
*Oh Boy Records artist Emily Scott Robinson,whose last album made year-end best lists from NPR, RollingStone, American Songwriter, and No Depression;
*Beth NielsenChapman, who has written seven #1 hits,including compositions that have been recorded by Elton John, Bonnie Raitt,Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, the Indigo Girls, and Keb’ Mo’;
*The Steel Wheels, of whom NPRsaid, “Smearing the boundaries separating blues, bluegrass andgospel music, The Steel Wheels’ soundhas earned the band multiple awards and a near-permanent place atop independentmusic and Americana charts”;
*Bodega, CA trio Rainbow Girls, who have over60,000 subscribers on YouTube and who have been nominated for an InternationalFolk Music Award;
*Steve Martin Banjo Prize winner and the 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist ofthe Year Tray Wellington, who performed on the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary with Mumford& Sons;
*platinum-selling songwriter and “quite possibly the most talented, and engaging, soloperformer on this planet” (NPR) Steve Poltz;
*master balafon player and Knight of the National Order of Burkina Faso Mamadou Diabate,who learned from his father, with his band Percussion Mania.
*the “urgent, relevant”(BBC) “uniquely Angeleno mishmash of punk, hip-hop, beat music,cumbia & rock” (LA Times) of Las Cafeteras;
*GRAMMY-nominated Louisiana band Nathan & the Zydeco ChaChas;
*Yasmin Williams;
*Emma Swift, whose album Blonde on the Tracks received Best of 2020 accolades from RollingStone, Nashville Scene, No Depression, The Guardianand more.
*ukulele-wielding Taiwanese YouTube sensation Feng E;
*the “stark and atmospheric… ambient folk” (Pitchfork) of Great LakeSwimmers;
*five-time GRAMMY-nominated Louisiana musician Sean Ardoin;
*Jim White, who has performed on Conan andLetterman and whose music was featured in Breaking Bad;
*“one of the best pickers on the scene today… whose “musicis characterized as Native Americana, with healthy doses of blues, bluegrass,jazz, reggae and folk” (NPR) CaryMorin Duo, who has performed for audiences at the Kennedy Center,The Olympics, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, and Lincoln Center;
*New Orleans-based, Blues Music Award-winning harmonica virtuoso Jason Ricci & Damon Fowler,the latter of whose albums have topped the Billboard Blues Chart;
*Ordinary Elephant;
*Mattias Thedens,one of Norway's emerging talents on the Hardanger Fiddle, Norway’snational instrument; and
*GRAMMY nominated Zydeco innovator and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festfavorites Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic;
*Multiple Blues Music Award-winner Doug MacLeod,whom Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna called “one of the great blues artists,period.”
*International Folk Music Award-winners OKAN, the women-led, Afro-Cuban roots andjazz duo who have won two JUNO Awards and appeared on an NPRTiny Desk Concert;
*2023 JUNO Award-winning blues artist Angelique Francis,who has shared stages with Buddy Guy, Gary Clark, Jr., Joe Bonamassa, Keb’ Mo’, Beth Hart, andmore;Luke Winslow-King;
*the all-women Colombian salsa sextet Las Guaracheras, who performedthis year at Lincoln Center;
*New Orleans’ Luke Winslow-King,who “seamlessly melds Delta blues, gospel and jazz themes withpersonal, simplified lyrics that speak to his personal and artistic evolution” (NewYork Times);
*two-time JUNO award-winning alternative indie artist, multi-instrumentalist,producer, and singer-songwriter Aysanabee;
*and Cajun Americana singer-songwriter Dustin Dale Gaspard,who has found success via The Voice (NBC).
FolkAlliance International will be returning to New Orleans, LA in 2030 and 2032.
MoreAbout the Conference
TheAnnual Folk Alliance International Conference is the largest gathering of folkmusicians and music industry professionals in the world. This is an experiencelike no other. Music is around every corner. Legends, rising stars, andindustry innovators share career-boosting insights.
Aninternational crowd of artists, venues, labels, DJs, agents, and organizationscome together for five days of professional development, networking, and music.
Oursummits are multi-day experiences that bring together thought leaders,policymakers, industry experts, and artists to foster meaningful dialogue andcollaboration across legal issues, Black American music, and internationalIndigenous music.
OfficialShowcases highlight the best folk music in the world across a vast variety ofgenres. Over 160 jury-selected artists perform on the largest stages of ourconference to an audience of venue bookers, agents, record labels, DJs, mediacompanies, and more.
Thecrowd-favorite of every FAI Conference, Private Showcases give everyone anopportunity to perform. Late at night, hotel guest rooms transform into smallstages with hundreds of performances hosted by different organizations.
Thefirst night of the conference is the International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs) – thepremier recognition of folk music industry leaders, legends, unsung heroes, andrising talent.
AboutFolk Alliance International
Foundedin 1989, and governed by a 21-member board of directors, Folk AllianceInternational (FAI) is the world’slargest membership organization for the folk music industry and community. FolkAlliance International advances folk music and its communities by engaging,educating, and strengthening the global folk music ecosystem.
FAIvalues diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, is committed to gender parityin all its programming, celebrates multiple languages and cultures, andactively welcomes participation from marginalized, disenfranchised, andunderrepresented communities.
FAIdefines folk broadly as “the music of the people” (reflective of any community theyare from), and programs a diverse array of sub-genres including, but notlimited to Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, GlobalRoots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco,and various fusions.
Additionally,FAI provides information, advocacy, education, and professional development forover 19,000 in its community and oversees an IRS Group Exemption program insupport of over 50 US non-profits.
AboutBig Freedia
Knownas the larger-than-life ambassador of New Orleans Bounce music, Big Freedia isa nationally recognized hip-hop artist, TV personality and cultural influencer.Most recently she made headline news for her feature on Beyoncé’s Grammy-Award winning single, “BreakMy Soul,” released in 2022, her second collaboration with Beyoncé.
Inaddition to three critically acclaimed EPs, 3rd Ward Bounce(2018), Louder(2020), and Big Diva Energy (2021), Big Freedia,known as the Queen of New Orleans Bounce, also appeared on numerous highprofile projects, including Beyoncé’s Grammy award-winning, “Formation,” and on Drake’s “Nice For What,” where she brings her distinctive voice andsignature catchphrases to all her work. In 2021, she covered “Judas” on Lady Gaga’s Born this Way The Tenth Anniversary album.Most recently, Big Freedia released her first full length project in sevenyears, Central City Freestyle featuring Lil’ Wayne,Ciara, Boyfriend and more.
In2021, Big Freedia was honored as one of Ebony’s Power 100 and she has appeared on AccessHollywood, Entertainment Tonight, NPR, The Breakfast Club, The Problem with JonStewart, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Real.Her critically acclaimed 2015 memoir, God Save the QueenDiva (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster)was released in paperback in 2020.
AboutTank and the Bangas
Tankand the Bangas explore the most tender and true parts of life’sjourney. Unique and with a vibrance that could only come from New Orleans, thelead vocalist, Tank has stretched her vocals over quirky raps, poetry, and richmelodies since the release of their first album, Think Tank in 2013. Four yearslater, they had a viral breakthrough as the winners of the NPRTiny Desk Contest — an eclectic performance that has since been praised bymusicians like Miguel and Anthony Hamilton and has now amassed over 14 millionviews on YouTube. Now, Tank and the Bangas arrive with a new 3-part album The Heart, The Mind, and The Soul. With this offering,Tank opens up about the wisdom she’sgained from new beginnings, endings, and in-betweens.
Recentwinner for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for The Heart, TheMind, The Soul at the 2025 GRAMMYs, the concept of this album seriescame to Tank two years ago while traveling on a train with her group members.Its structure makes it different from the rest of the catalog, and so does thespecial emphasis Tank has put on her poetry, collaborators, and its cohesivesound.
AboutTaj Mahal
Formore than 40 years, five-time Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal has taken blueson a joyride through folk, reggae, funk, jazz, cajun, and more, leaving a trailof swinging hips and raised palms in his wake. He has earned a specialmerit Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and an Americana Music AssociationLifetime Achievement Award. A self-taught musician, Taj plays over 20instruments including National Steel and Dobro guitars, and his remarkablevoice ranges from gruff and gravelly to smooth and sultry. His musicremains a well-seasoned gumbo, spiced with influences that originate in theCaribbean, West Africa, the Southern States, and the inner cities of America. “Music is like theater to a lot ofpeople—they’rewatching it,” he says. “Well,you can watch it, but you’resupposed to participate. The audience is just as much a part of the musicas the musicians are.” Taj pauses, then adds with a warm laugh, “Ido like it when they dance.”
AboutKyshona
Kyshonalends her voice and music to those who feel silenced, forgotten, or alone. She began her career as a music therapist, writing her first songs withpatients—students and inmates under her care. She became compelled tofind her own voice, leading her to the Nashville creative community. Shenow balances her music career with her passion to heal through her organizationYour Song.
Sheis a three-time TEDx speaker, has delivered the keynote address for 2023Fulbright Scholars, and is featured in the PBS television show Ear to the Common Ground gathering fans around adining table to discuss voting rights in America. Audiences will find acommon thread of empowerment, overcoming adversity, and hope in her work.
Kyshona’slatest project LEGACY focuses on family. Throughstories, photos, film, ancestry & genealogy research, and travels, sheshares her story. The show doesn’t end when the last song is sung. After her powerfulperformances, concertgoers often ask, "What can I do?"
Herresponse? “Listen.”
AboutClifton Chenier
Clifton Chenier (1925–1987), hailed asthe “King of Zydeco,” was one of Louisiana’s greatest musical innovators and cultural ambassadors.Born near Opelousas, he fused Creole folk traditions with blues, R&B,country, and Cajun styles to create a vibrant sound that brought zydeco to theworld stage. With his trademark accordion and rubboard, Chenier turneddancehalls into joyous celebrations, insisting, “If you can’t dance to zydeco, you can’t dance—period!”His partnership with Arhoolie Records in the 1960s helped introduce his musicto international audiences, earning him a Grammy Award in 1984 and a posthumousGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. In 2025, on the centennial of hisbirth, Smithsonian Folkways honored his enduring influence with the release of Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco, acomprehensive retrospective celebrating the legacy of a true American original.
AboutLouisiana Folk Roots
For25 years, Louisiana Folk Roots has been dedicated to preserving and passingdown the rich musical and cultural traditions of South Louisiana. Founded byChristine Balfa, the organization began with Balfa Week, a Cajun and Creoleheritage camp, and has since grown into a beloved institution offeringyear-round programming, including Kids Camps, French language initiatives, andthe hands-on “Petting Zoo” of Cajun instruments. Thousands ofparticipants from across Louisiana and around the world have learned to playfiddle, accordion, and guitar, to sing in French, and to celebrate the joie devivre at the heart of Cajun and Creole culture. A grassroots nonprofit fueledby community support, Louisiana Folk Roots continues to nurture generations ofmusicians, teachers, and cultural stewards, ensuring that the sounds and spiritof South Louisiana remain vibrant for years to come.
AboutYasmin Williams
YasminWilliams is an acclaimed acoustic guitarist and composer from NorthernVirginia, whose inventive finger-style approach—featuring lap-style placement,tapping, alternate tunings and percussive hits on the guitar body—has expandedthe instrument’sexpressive possibilities. She holds a degree in music theory and compositionfrom New York University. Her three full-length studio albums — Unwind(2018) Urban Driftwood(2021) and Acadia(2024) have been praised for blending folk, ambient textures, jazz influencesand West African-inspired instrumentation (including kalimba and kora). Beyondher musical innovation, Williams has emerged as a vocal advocate for diversity,equity and labor rights in the arts. Through her boundary-pushing artistry andprincipled activism, Yasmin Williams stands as one of contemporary music’smost visionary and courageous voices, fully embodying the values and ideals ofthe folk community.
AboutEdmonton Folk Festival
TheEdmonton Folk Music Festival is honored with the Clearwater Award for itsdecades-long commitment to environmental stewardship and leadership insustainable event production. Since the early 1990s, the festival has worked inclose partnership with the City of Edmonton and the Cloverdale community toprotect Gallagher Park, implementing innovative green practices long beforesustainability became standard. From its pioneering reusable plate program—divertingmore than two million single-use items from landfills—to its composting,recycling, and bike lock-up initiatives, every aspect of the festival reflectsa deep respect for people and place. Supported by a dedicated Green Team ofvolunteers, the festival continues to educate audiences and reduce itsfootprint through initiatives like compostable wares, PLA beer cups, andparticipation in Edmonton’sCorporate Climate Leadership Program. The Edmonton Folk Music Festival sets apowerful example of how large-scale cultural events can inspire collectiveenvironmental responsibility.
AboutLaura Thomas, ComboPlate Booking
Alifelong Austinite, Laura Thomas embodies the heart of the folk communitythrough her unwavering commitment to artists, service, and connection. As thefounder of ComboPlate Booking, Laura has spent over twenty-five yearsrepresenting singer-songwriters and building a thriving network of venues,presenters, and musicians. Her passion for community extends far beyond thestage—since 2001, she has organized monthly concerts and annual South By SoupFest fundraisers benefiting Caritas of Austin, raising over $80,000 for foodservices.
Aformer social worker, Laura continues to uplift others through her advocacy formental health and artist well-being. Her six years of service on the FolkAlliance International Board of Directors, including two years in executiveleadership, reflect her ongoing dedication to the organization she calls her “folkfamily.” Laura’s generosity, authenticity, and deep community spirit trulycapture the essence of the Spirit of Folk Award.
AboutRachel Ornelas, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
RachelOrnelas, Cultural Heritage Manager for the New Orleans Jazz & HeritageFestival, embodies the spirit of folk through her tireless dedication topreserving and presenting Louisiana’sdiverse cultural traditions. Since 2003, she has curated the Louisiana FolklifeVillage, Native American Village, and other festival areas, while alsoco-founding its Sustainability Department. A Texas native of Mexican descent,Rachel’sdeep connection to music and community stems from her upbringing in a family ofTejano musicians. Her work extends beyond Jazz Fest—consulting on culturalprojects for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Americana Music Triangle, andNALAC, where she also serves as a grant reviewer. A Fellow of the NationalAssociation of Latino Arts and Cultures Leadership Institute, she has championedsocial activism through Latino arts initiatives in New Orleans. Through hervision, leadership, and advocacy, Rachel has amplified countless culturalvoices, ensuring that folk traditions remain vibrant and visible forgenerations to come.
