Today, Folk Alliance International (FAI) – the world’s largest membership organization for the folk music industry and community – announced the nominees and awardees for the 2026 International Folk Music Awards. The announcement includes Best of 2025 nominees, which are nominated and voted for by FAI’s voting membership, the Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Spirit of Folk Awards, the People’s Voice Award, the Clearwater Award, the Rising Tide Award, and Folk Radio Hall of Fame inductions.
The awards will be staged on the first night of FAI’s 38th annual conference, which will take place January 21-25, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana with a conference theme of “Rise Up.” Late last month ahead of the awards announcement, New Orleans icons Big Freedia and Tarriona “Tank” Ball (of Tank and the Bangas) were announced as keynote speakers for the conference.
Nominees for the Best of 2025 categories include artists from across many diverse folk genres like Alison Krauss & Union Station, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’, I’m With Her, Carsie Blanton, Abbie Gardner, The Baltic Sisters, Flamy Grant, Woody Guthrie, Ordinary Elephant, Crys Matthews, and many more. Taj Mahal will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Extraordinary guitarist Yasmin Williams was announced as the recipient of the Rising Tide Award, while singer-songwriter Kyshona has been tapped for the People’s Voice Award.
The International Folk Music Awards show is always a highlight of each year’s Folk Alliance International conference. It’s a sort of evening kick-off on the first night of the event, a starting bell for showcases official and unofficial and for the next few days, all packed full of excellent folk music from all around the world – and a healthy helping from New Orleans, too.
Below, find the full list of nominees and awards recipients for the 2026 International Folk Music Awards.
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Taj Mahal
Clifton Chenier
Louisiana Folk Roots
Artist of the Year
Abbie Gardner
Carsie Blanton
Crys Matthews
I’m With Her
Ordinary Elephant
Sam Robbins
Album of the Year
Arcadia, Alison Krauss & Union Station
CHURCH, Flamy Grant
Room On The Porch, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
Reclamation, Crys Matthews
Wild and Clear and Blue, I’m With Her
Woody At Home: Volumes 1 + 2, Woody Guthrie
Song of the Year
“Ain’t Afraid To Die” – Woody Guthrie (songwriter: Woody Guthrie)
“Crying In The Night” – Andrew Bird & Madison Cunningham (songwriter: Stevie Nicks)
“I BOUGHT ME A PRESIDENT” – Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (songwriters: Cathy Fink, Tom Paxton)
“Room On The Porch” – Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Ruby Amanfu (songwriters: Ahmen Mahal, Henry St. Claire Fredericks, Jr., Kevin R. Moore, Ruby Amanfu)
“Sleeves Up” – Crys Matthews (songwriter: Crys Matthews)
“Sisters Of The Night Watch” – I’m With Her (songwriters: Aoife O’Donovan, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz)
Global Folk Album Award
At the Feet of the Beloved, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali
Bagola, Trio Da Kali
Niepraudzivaya, Hajda Banda
Tales of Earth and Sun, Rastak
VÄRAV/VĀRTI/VARTAI, The Baltic Sisters
Vié Kaz, Votia
Spirit of Folk Awards
Laura Thomas, ComboPlate Booking
Rachel Ornelas, Cultural Heritage Manager, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Alex Mallett, Deputy Director, Folk Alliance International
Cindy Cogbill, Overton Park Shell and Folk Alliance International
People’s Voice Award
Kyshona
Rising Tide Award
Yasmin Williams
Clearwater Award
Edmonton Folk Festival
Folk Radio Hall of Fame Inductees
Susan Forbes Hansen (WHUS)
Kieran Hanrahan (RTE Radio 1)
Ron Olesko (Folk Music Notebook)
Michael Stock (WLRN)
Find out more about Folk Alliance International’s annual conference in New Orleans January 21-25, 2026 and make plans to attend the International Folk Music Awards here.
Photos courtesy of Folk Alliance International. Lead image (L to R): Yasmin Williams; Carsie Blanton; Kyshona.
