Indigo Girls to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at International Folk Music Awards 2025: Full list of nominations and honorees

35 years after the Indigo Girls won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording for their self-titled debut album, the duo will receive a lifetime achievement award at The International Folk Music Awards. The awards ceremony will take place in Montreal on February 19, the first night of the Folk Alliance International (FAI) Conference.

The duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, received a second Grammy 35 years ago – best new artist. They lost to a fancier duo, Milli Vanilli, whose award was later revoked on the grounds that they did not perform on their album, a charge never leveled against the Indigo Girls, who received another five nods for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

Lifetime achievement awards will also be presented to Lesley Riddle, the African-American musician who collected songs for the Carter family with patriarch AP Carter and taught Mother Maybelle Carter guitar techniques. and Songlines magazine celebrating 25 years of covering world roots music.

Flamy Grant, Sarah Jarosz, Kaïa Kater, Nick Lowe, Crys Matthews and Allison Russell compete for artist of the year. Kater is also up for album of the year Strange Medicinewhich features guest spots from Allison Russell, Aoife O'Donovan and Taj Mahal.

Two of the other nominees for album of the year, by Aoife O'Donovan All my friends and Sierra Ferrell's Flower Path, are the current Grammy nominees. All my friends is nominated for Best Folk album. Path of Flowers for Best Americana album. All my friends inspired by the passage of the 19th Amendment and the evolving landscape of women's rights in America over the last century.

New recordings released between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024 were eligible for the best of the year categories (song, album and artist).

The People's Voice Award, given to an individual who embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public career, will be presented to Gina Chavez.

OKAN, the all-female Afro-Cuban roots jazz duo, will be honored with The Rising Tide Award.

The Spirit of Folk Awards will be presented to: Tom Power, Canadian musician and broadcaster, best known as host of *Q* on CBC Radio One and a member of the folk band The Dardanelles. Alice Randall, a songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash (among others) and founder of the production company Midsummer Music. Longtime People's Alliance Midwest pillar Annie Capps; and Quebec's Innu Nikamu festival, which has exemplified a commitment to promoting and preserving Indigenous culture for more than 30 years.

The Clearwater Award recognizes a festival that prioritizes environmental stewardship and demonstrates public leadership in producing sustainable events. This year's award will be presented at the River Roads festival in Easthampton, MA.

The awards are being held on the first night of the FAI's 37th annual convention, which will take place February 19-23, 2025. The convention will be held at Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel, home of John Lennon and his famous 1969 Bed-In for Peace by Yoko Ono. All conference attendees will have access to the IFMAs.

Here are the nominations in the three “Best of 2024” categories plus this year's special award winners.

Artist of the Year

Flamy Grant
Sarah Jarosz
Kaïa Kater
Nick Lowe
Cry Matthews
Alison Russell

album of the Year

Sierra Ferrell, Path of Flowers (Rounder Records)
The Heart Collectors, The space between (Spins the Gold Records)
Kaïa Kater, Strange Medicine (Free Dirt Records)
Aoife O'Donovan, All my friends (Yep Roc Records)
Common elephant – Ordinary elephant (Berkalin Records)
Susan Werner, Halfway to Houston (self-released)

The song of the year

'Tenzin Sings with Nightingales', written by Tenzin Choegyal, performed by Tenzin Choegyal and Michael Askill
“How I Long for Peace”, written by Abena Koomson-Davis, Peggy Seeger, Rhiannon Giddens, performed by Rhiannon Giddens, Crys Matthews and the Resistance Revival Chorus
“Woman Who Pays”, written and performed by Connie Kaldor
“$20 Bill (for George Floyd),” written by Tom Prasada-Rao, performed by Dan Navarro & Janiva Magness
“Ukrainian Now”, written and performed by Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon
“Love Letters,” written by Julian Taylor, Tyler James Ellis, performed by Julian Taylor

Lifetime Achievement Award – Living: Indigo Girls

Lifetime Achievement Award – Legacy: Leslie Riddle

Lifetime Achievement Award – Business: Songlines Magazine

People's Voice: Gina Chavez

Rising tide: OK

Clearwater Award: River Roads festival (Easthampton, Mass.)

People's Spirit: Tom Powers, Alice Randall, Annie Capps, Innu Nikamu festival

Folk Radio DJ Hall of Fame Inductees: Archie Fisher (BBC Scotland), Mary Sue Twohy (SIRIUS XM), Taylor Caffrey (WRKF-FM, Baton Rouge, La.), Matthew Finch (posthumous, KUNM-FM, Albuquerque, NM), Chuck Wentworth (posthumous, WRIU- FM, Rhode Island)