Artistic Achievement Award
The Winnipeg Folk Festival Artistic Achievement Award recognizes outstanding artistic achievement by folk musicians. The award is presented annually to an artist who has performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, who has demonstrated musical excellence, and who has contributed at an exceptional level to the field of folk music and to the community as a whole.
Folk legend, Oscar Brand received the 2011 Artistic Achievement Award, on December 1, 2011.
Born in Winnipeg in 1920, Oscar is a living legend – a composer, author, and host of the longest-running radio show in history, Folksong Festival, now in its 66th year. He has recorded 110 LPs, is known for writing catchy lyrics including the theme to his early-60’s television show Let’s Sing Out. The show’s theme song, “This Land of Ours (Something to Sing About)”, is celebrated as one of Canada’s most beloved national folk songs.
Oscar was at the very first Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1974 and in 2010 he returned for a delightful afternoon workshop where he was inducted into Manitoba’s Order of the Buffalo Hunt by Premier Greg Selinger. His prolific career as a songwriter and recording artist is perhaps matched only by his iconic, Emmy-winning role in television where he helped create Sesame Street.
Winnipeg Folk Festival Tribute to Oscar Brand featuring footage and images of Oscar’s 65-year folk music career including the Order of the Buffalo Hunt ceremony at the festival in 2010.
- Oscar Brand performing at the 2011 Winter Wassail. Photo by Dave McKnight.
Past Artistic Achievement Award Recipients:
- 2010: Leon Redbone
- 2009 Billy Bragg
- 2008: Richard Thompson
- 2007: Buffy Sainte-Marie
- 2006: Odetta
- 2005: Bruce Cockburn
- 2004: Loreena McKennitt