Yesterday, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Folk Alliance International (FAI) – the world’s largest membership organization for the folk music industry and community – announced winners and recipients for their 2026 International Folk Music Awards. The awards show, held during FAI’s annual conference which just began in New Orleans, included handing out honors for the Best of 2025 nominees (which are nominated and voted for by FAI’s voting membership), plus presentations of 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 IFMAs were streamed live on YouTube, fans and viewers can watch the archived broadcast now below.
The awards show included stunning live performances by artists like Kyshona, Yasmin Williams, and Louisiana’s own artists and bands like Leyla McCalla, The Rumble, C.J. Chenier, and more. Taj Mahal, Clifton Chenier (father to C.J.), and Louisiana Folk Roots were each bestowed with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Meanwhile, the People’s Voice Award was handed out to Kyshona; the Rising Tide Award to Yasmin Williams; and the Clearwater Award to the Edmonton Folk Festival.
In the Best of 2025 categories, two acts tied for Artist of the Year: singer-songwriter, activist and protestor Carsie Blanton with folk and bluegrass supergroup I’m With Her. I’m With Her were also awarded Album of the Year.
The International Folk Music Awards show is always a highlight of each year’s Folk Alliance International conference. It’s a sort of 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 winners (in bold) 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 (TIE)
Crys Matthews
I’m With Her (TIE)
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)
Photos courtesy of Folk Alliance International, shot by Shadow Scape Records. Lead image: left, Crys Matthews; right, Yasmin Williams.
