The Canadian Folk Music Award for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year is a Canadian award, presented as part of the Canadian Folk Music Awards to honour the year's best songwriting by First Nations and Inuit artists. 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 English Songwriter of the Year and French Songwriter of the Year.
The award was formerly presented as Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year, and was renamed from aboriginal to indigenous in 2018.
2000s Year Nominee Album Ref 2005 1st Canadian Folk Music Awards No award presented 2006 2nd Canadian Folk Music Awards Wayne Lavallee Green Dress "Veteran Lang tops Canadian folk awards". CBC News, December 11, 2006. Digging Roots seeds "Wailin' Jennys, Madrigaia nominated for Canadian Folk Music Awards". CBC News, November 1, 2006. Don Freed The Valley of Green and Blue Art Napoleon Miyoskamin Laura Vinson It Reminds Me 2007 3rd Canadian Folk Music Awards Sandy Scofield Nikawiy Askiy Greg Quill, "Toronto roots musicians snag prizes". St. Catharines Standard, December 3, 2007. Leela Gilday Sedzé "Bruce Cockburn up for 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards". CBC News, October 17, 2007. Ry Moran Groundwater Karen Donaldson Shepherd (The Crow Girls) Where the Green Grass Grows Laura Vinson Mossbag Lullaby 2008 4th Canadian Folk Music Awards No award presented 2009 5th Canadian Folk Music Awards Don Amero Deepening Lynn Saxberg, "Folk musicians honoured". Regina Leader-Post, November 23, 2009. Vince Fontaine, Jay Bodner, Chris Burke-Gaffney (Eagle & Hawk) Sirensong "Results 2009" . Canadian Folk Music Awards. Violet Naytowhow Wind of the North Buffy Sainte-Marie Running for the Drum Tanya Tagaq Auk/Blood
2010s Year Nominee Album Ref 2010 6th Canadian Folk Music Awards Asani Listen "The Once wins big in Winnipeg". Ottawa Citizen, November 21, 2010. Eagle and Hawk The Great Unknown Wayne Lavallee Trail of Tears Brenda MacIntyre Medicine Song Tom Racine Three Mile Junction 2011 7th Canadian Folk Music Awards Vince Fontaine Songs for Turtle Island Don Amero The Long Way Home Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, October 22, 2011. Robert Davidson, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson New Journeys Janet Panic Samples Kristi Lane Sinclair I Love You 2012 8th Canadian Folk Music Awards No award presented 2013 9th Canadian Folk Music Awards Nancy Mike (The Jerry Cans) Nunavuttitut Brad Wheeler, "Good Lovelies among winners at Canadian Folk Music Awards". The Globe and Mail, November 11, 2013. Don Amero Heart on My Sleeve Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, September 29, 2013. Vince Fontaine (Indian City) Supernation Diem Lafortune Beauty and Hard Times Kristi Lane Sinclair The Sea Alone 2014 10th Canadian Folk Music Awards Amanda Rheaume, John MacDonald Keep a Fire Lynn Saxberg, "Ottawa singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume among folk music award winners". Ottawa Citizen, November 30, 2014. Buffy & Larry Surrounded Lynn Saxberg, "Folkies set to honour their own". Ottawa Citizen, September 25, 2014. Vince Fontaine (Indian City) Colors Jasmine Netsena Take You With Me Tanya Tagaq Animism 2015 11th Canadian Folk Music Awards Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish (Digging Roots) For the Light "Canadian Folk Music Awards recipients announced in Edmonton". CBC News, November 9, 2015. Miranda Currie Up in the Air Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, September 9, 2015. The Jerry Cans Aakuluk Buffy Sainte-Marie Power in the Blood Laura Vinson and Free Spirit Warrior 2016 12th Canadian Folk Music Awards Twin Flames Jaaji and Chelsey June "Rail yard labourer-turned-musician David Francey wins big at Canadian Folk Music Awards". Toronto Star, December 3, 2016. Digawolf Great Northern Man Calum Slingerland, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Announce 2016 Winners". Exclaim!, December 4, 2016. Nadia Gaudet and Jason Burnstick Dream Big, Little One / Fais de beaux rêves, petit ange William Prince Earthly Days Amanda Rheaume Holding Patterns 2017 13th Canadian Folk Music Awards Twin Flames Signal Fire Sarah Greene, "Six highlights From the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards" . Now, November 20, 2017. Desiree Dorion Tough Street Brock Thiessen, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Reveal 2017 Nominees". Exclaim!, September 21, 2017. Lisa Muswagon Buffalo and Rabbits Cindy Paul The Flight Julian Taylor, Kinnie Starr, John Parente, Bill Bell Desert Star 2018 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards Shauit Apu peikussiaku "The LYNNeS, Pharis Romero Win Multiple CFMAs". FYI Music News, December 3, 2018. Tiffany Ayalik, Grey Gritt (Quantum Tangle) Shelter as we go... Michael Kornfeld, "Nominees Named for 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Acoustic Music Scene, September 22, 2018. Buffy Sainte-Marie Medicine Songs Dennis Shorty Gucho Hin Sandra Sutter Cluster Stars
2020s Year Nominee Album Ref 2020 15th Canadian Folk Music Awards Diyet van Lieshout Diyet & the Love Soldiers Allie Gregory, "Here Are All the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winners". Exclaim!, April 5, 2020. Sugar Plum Croxen, Shelley Hamilton, George Elliott Clarke (The Afro-Métis Nation) Constitution "Dave Gunning gets four nominations for Canadian Folk Music Awards". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, November 20, 2019. Jenelle Duval, Danielle Benoit, Stacey Howse (Eastern Owl) Qama’si Joshua Haulli Aqqut Mike Paul Origine 2021 16th Canadian Folk Music Awards Leela Gilday North Star Calling "Pharis & Jason Romero Head CFMA Winners List". FYI Music News, April 11, 2021. Jason and Nadia Burnstick Kîyânaw Brock Thiessen, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Unveil 2021 Nominees". Exclaim!, December 1, 2020. A. W. Cardinal Bare Knuckles & Brawn Riit ataataga Crystal Shawanda Church House Blues 2022 17th Canadian Folk Music Awards Chelsey June & Jaaji Omen Heather Kitching, "The Canadian Folk Music Awards 2022 – winners and highlights". Roots Music Canada, April 2, 2022. David Laronde I Know I Can Fly Megan Lapierre, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Announce 2022 Nominees". Exclaim!, September 28, 2021. Laura Niquay Waska Matisiwin Phyllis Sinclair Ghost Bones Morgan Toney First Flight 2023 18th Canadian Folk Music Awards Amanda Rheaume The Spaces in Between Berk Jodoin Half Breed Stephen Cooke, "Madison Violet, Shannon & Tony Quinn among 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award nominees". SaltWire Network, October 5, 2022. ShoShona Kish, Raven Kanatakta Polson-Lahache Zhawenim Kyle McKearney Down-Home Adrian Sutherland When the Magic Hits 2024 19th Canadian Folk Music Awards Kaeley Jade Wiebe Turpentine Calum Slingerland, "Here are the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winners". Exclaim!, April 10, 2024. Cynthia Hamar Joint & Marrow Nika Petrosian, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Unveil 2024 Nominees". Exclaim!, October 18, 2023. Kyle McKearney A Traveler's Lament Qattuu Midnight Sun Geneviève Toupin Maison vent 2025 20th Canadian Folk Music Awards Alan Syliboy and the Thundermakers Marks on the Ground Kerry Doole, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Turn 20: Full Winners List". Billboard, April 8, 2025. Celeigh Cardinal Boundless Possibilities Jason Burnstick, Nadia Burnstick Made of Sin Heather Kitching, "Here are your nominees for the 2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards". Roots Music Canada, October 30, 2024. Gabrielle Fontaine (Indian City) Tomorrow Mimi O'Bonsawin Live in Concert 2026 21st Canadian Folk Music Awards Aysanabee Edge of the Earth "Here are your 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award winners". Roots Music Canada, April 12, 2026. PIQSIQ Legends Asiah Holm The Mask That You Made Heather Kitching, "Here are your Canadian Folk Music Award nominees for 2025". Roots Music Canada, October 31, 2025. Wyatt C. Louis Chandler Amanda Rheaume The Truth We Hold
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