Peterborough Folk Festival Announces Irish Millie and Nicholas Campbell as 2023 Emerging Artist Award Winners

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The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced that local talents Irish Millie and Nicholas Campbell are the winners of the 2023 Emerging Artist Award.

Peterborough Folk Festival believes in investing in young local performers to encourage and support their careers. To that end, PFF created an annual award in 2001 to recognize emerging local talent that we think deserves the attention and support of the community. For the list of previous winners, visit the website.

Applicants may be solo artists, groups or bands and must live in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, including Hiawatha, Curve Lake and Alderville First Nations, and be under the age of 30. A committee assesses applicants on skill, dedication and artistic merit.

Irish Millie is a 16-year-old fiddle player who loves to play East Coast, Bluegrass and Contemporary Trad styles – especially driving, up-beat tunes that get the crowd up on their feet. As a youngster, Millie (whose real name is Amelia “Millie” Shadgett) busked every Saturday along with her Dad at the local farmers’ market to gain experience and help pay for music camp.

Millie has already received nominations for two Canadian Folk Music Awards as Young Performer of the Year – in 2022 for her first album, ‘Thirteen’, and in 2023 for her work with The Receivers, a collaboration between Millie and sisters Willow and Fern Marwood. In addition to regularly playing in the Peterborough area, Millie has toured in Denmark and is touring Canada’s east coast of Canada this summer, and toured in Vermont with The Receivers this past spring.

“It is truly an incredible feeling to be recognized for my art in this beautiful city that I call home. I am grateful and honoured to be receiving Peterborough Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Award alongside the very talented Nicholas Campbell,” said Millie. “I have been very lucky to have the full force of the Peterborough community behind me from a very young age. I can not wait to get up on that stage and make you proud – see you there!”

From slick hot-rod rockabilly to smooth crooning honky tonk, Nicholas Campbell is the real deal. Inspired by some of the last century’s most iconic country sounds, Campbell first picked up the guitar at age 10 and was gigging by 11. Campbell began playing consistently with his band, The Two-Metre Cheaters, during the early months of the pandemic, and the band quickly found their groove as live shows became an option once again. Campbell’s 2021 debut album, ‘Livin’ and Other Western Ideas’, combines elements of rockabilly, western swing, and old-fashioned honky tonk. The band has enjoyed worldwide coverage and airplay since, spanning from western Canada to Spain, Italy and beyond. Nicholas has also played lead guitar for Melissa Payne, Pat Temple, Jane Archer and other artists.

With Campbell’s new singles and the album to come, ‘Gonna Have A Ball Tonight’, the group has embraced a more rock n’ roll-centric sound, adding renewed energy to Campbell’s signature country sensibilities.

“I’m very grateful to be part of such a supportive music scene and I feel very fortunate to be recognized as Emerging Artist,” said Nicholas Campbell. “It’s very humbling to be recognized on a list with so many other great artists.”

Recipients of the Emerging Artist Award are provided showcase performance spots during the festival weekend and a trip to the Folk Music Ontario Conference where they have the opportunity to meet artistic directors, festival organizers, other musicians, agents and publicists. Peterborough Folk Festival would like to thank our Emerging Artist Sponsors: Cambium Consulting and Engineering; Engage Engineering Ltd. & Part Time CFO Services.

Peterborough Folk Festival 2023 kicks off with ticketed concerts on Thursday, August 17th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Friday, August 18 at the Gordon Best Theatre, followed by a free-admission weekend of music, food and culture on August 19 and 20 at Nicholls Oval Park. Recent announcement of headliners Broken Social Scene and Loreena McKennitt will be followed soon with the complete line-up of performers.

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Peterborough Folk Festival Announces Headlining Act Loreena McKennitt To Take the Stage August 20

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Award-winning composer and singer Loreena McKennitt is set to headline the Peterborough Folk Festival at Nicholls Oval Park on Sunday, August 20.

photo courtesy of the peterborough folk festival.

McKennitt says that in one way or another, we are all an extension of each other’s history. “Wanting to learn about our neighbours is also a desire to learn about ourselves,” says the singer from Morden, Manitoba.

To date, she has sold over 14 million albums with a catalogue that includes seven studio recordings, three seasonal recordings, a live in-concert DVD and two DVD documentaries.  She’s won two Juno Awards, Canada’s premier music award, and garnered two Grammy Award nominations.

“We are so honoured to have Loreena McKennitt perform at PFF 2023,” says Ryan Kemp, artistic director of the festival. During her recording career spanning more than two decades, McKennitt’s ‘eclectic Celtic’ music has received critical acclaim world-wide, with gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales awards in 15 countries across four continents.

Now in its 34th year, Peterborough Folk Festival strives for gender parity, diversity and inclusivity in the performance line-up and throughout all aspects of the festival. Of the 28 artists who performed at the Festival in 2022, 11 were local.

“Not only is Ms. McKennitt a critically acclaimed singer and composer, she is revered for her passion for human rights and the protection of the environment,” says Kemp. “As the second-largest cultural event in the region promoting inclusivity and diversity, we are so grateful to have Ms. McKennitt share her incredible talent and generosity of spirit with all of those who attend the Festival.”

McKennitt is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba. In 2002 and 2012 she was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals and in 2013 she was appointed to the rank of Knight of the National Order of Arts and Letters by the Republic of France. Recently, she was inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Each year, Peterborough Folk Festival welcomes more than 12,000 people to Peterborough and the surrounding region, making it the second-largest cultural event of the Summer season.

The Festival will feature three days of music, culture and community starting August 17th at Market Hall and continuing August 19th-20th at Nicholls Oval Park next to the Otonabee River.

For more information on how to get involved as an artist, volunteer or vendor, head over to the website.

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Photos: 33rd Annual Peterborough Folk Festival Rocks Nicholls Oval Park

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Following ticketed events at Market Hall on Thursday and Friday evenings, free performances were held throughout the weekend in Nicholls Oval park as part of Peterborough Folk Festival.

Nathan Truax and band performs during Peterborough Folk Festival 2022. Photo by Luke Best

First organized in 1989 as part of the now defunct Peterborough Arts Umbrella, the festival became a not-for-profit organization in 2001 and a registered charity in 2018.

The mandate of the festival is to promote folk music and arts within the Peterborough community as well as provide safely accessible venues and diverse audiences for both local and Canadian touring musicians.

The 2022 edition of Folk Fest featured acts such as the Sudbury string band, Murder Murder.

I, The Mountain from Kitchener played through sunset and into the evening.

Afie Jurvanen, known by his stage name, Bahamas headlined the show with a packed performance on Saturday Night. Jurvanen was born in Toronto and raised in Barrie.

On Sunday the 12-piece band from the Niagara area, My Son The Hurricane performed during the day. Lead singer Jacob Bergsma, wore a Zellers smock to commemorate the announcement that the Canadian company would be returning.

In addition to the performances, the festival featured an artisan village, a food village and valet bicycling parking provided by B!KE Community Bike Shop. Reusable dishes were used by food vendors and a team of volunteers washed and returned them to keep the festival as eco-friendly as possible.

The Peterborough Folk Festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit, registered charity organization and relies on the generosity of sponsors and donors to keep the event free.
If you’re interested in making a donation or learning more: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/peterborough-folk-festival/

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Peterborough Folk Festival News: Submission Deadline & Band Promotion 101 Workshop Coming Up!

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Memories of the 2010 PFF. The deadline for performer submissions to the 2011 Peterborough Folk Festival is February 28th, and submission guidelines can be found on PtboFolkFest.com. 

PFF receives more than 1,000 submissions from artists around the world each year, and is known Canada-wide for breaking new acts. Coming off a highly successful 2010 PFF, this year's PFF takes place Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28, 2011—so mark it on your calendars!

PFF Artistic Director Candace Shaw, who PtboCanada spotlighted last year in this Q&A, is also hosting a Band Promotion 101 workshop on February 2 at Sadleir House in Peterborough. Designed with the emerging artist in mind, Shaw draws on her many years of experience in the music industry to help up-and-coming artists understand the art of self-promotion. Cost is only $10, and participants must register at PtboFolkFest.com.

[Peterborough Folk Festival; PtboCanada Interview: Candace Shaw, Artistic Director of Peterborough Folk Festival; 2010 Peterborough Folk Festival]

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