Award to be presented in St. John’s, NL at the Canadian Folk Music Awards Concert, on Saturday April 6
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2024 [ST. JOHN’S] – The Canadian Folk Music Awards is pleased to announce that JOHN CLARKE is the 2024’s recipient of the CFMA’s annual Unsung Hero Award.
This award recognizes the contributions of people working behind the scenes, often without recognition or adequate recompense, to foster, promote, and encourage Canada’s music and cultural scenes.
About John Clarke
John Clarke has been involved in the St. John’s music scene for over two decades in many capacities. He has played dobro and guitar in various bands in genres from bluegrass to blues. In recent years, he has been a consistent sideman to late local blues legend Denis Parker. From 2008 to 2024, John served as Events Coordinator for the Folk Arts Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Not only did he coordinate the organizations’ annual flagship event for the past 15 years, The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, he programmed and managed almost 800 Folk Night at the Ship, 15 annual Wassail events, Young Folk at the Hall (assisting Fergus O’Byrne), and The Broadside, a folk music live stream which runs in The Festival off season. Folk Night and The Broadside are both weekly events.
Above all, John has taken a special interest in helping young musicians, making room for them in the local industry. He works with partners, such as the City of St. John’s to program “young folk”, oversees the programming for the Neil Murray stage at The Festival.
John Clarke’s love and enthusiasm for music and community is evident through everything he does, whether it’s setting up chairs at Folk Night, stage-managing Young Folk at the Hall, making every effort to encourage young musicians, whether it be writing a reference letter, or being part of the audience at their gigs. He is the quintessential “sideman” to the music scene in Newfoundand/Labrador.
About the Unsung Hero Award
This is an annual award recognizing the exceptional contribution of an individual, group, or organization active in any aspect of the Canadian folk music scene (performance, promotion, presentation, etc). It is meant to recognize those not generally recognized as a high profile individual, group, or organization, but who work tirelessly behind the scenes for the love of the music and who have not been recognized for their contributions by national or international music entities. It includes volunteers in all their diversity who, year after year, lend support to folk clubs, festivals, house concerts, etc. Posthumous nominations for individuals are not accepted.
All submissions are adjudicated by members of the CFMA Board of Directors, who select a recipient from the eligible submitted candidates. There is no fee for this nomination.
For more information
Jocelyne Baribeau,
CFMA Communications Director
media@folkawards.ca
1-204-771-5185