The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced two local musicians, Irish Millie and Nicholas Campbell, are the recipients of the festival’s 2023 Emerging Artist Award.
This is the first time in the history of the annual award, created in 2001 to recognize emerging young local talent deserving of attention, that the festival has selected joint recipients.
Applicants for the award 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.
“With the record number and high calibre of submissions, the festival has decided to award two emerging artists for 2023: Irish Millie and Nicholas Campbell,” reads a media release issued on Tuesday (June 27).
The 2023 Emerging Artist Award is sponsored by Cambium Consulting and Engineering, Engage Engineering Ltd., and Part Time CFO Services.
Going by the stage name of Irish Millie, Peterborough’s Amelia “Millie” Shadgett is a 16-year-old fiddle player who loves to play east coast, bluegrass, and contemporary traditional styles, particularly driving and up-beat tunes that get the crowd up on their feet.
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She was only three years old when she heard Canadian fiddling icon Natalie MacMaster perform at a square-dancing event and, three years later, got her first fiddle. As a youngster, she busked every Saturday along with her guitar-playing father and collaborator Murray Shadgett at the local farmers’ market to gain experience and help pay for music camp.
The Lakefield College School student, who performs regularly at local venues with her father and with Ottawa-area sisters Fern and Willow Marwood in their trio The Receivers, has already received nominations for two Canadian Folk Music Awards as Young Performer of the Year. She was nominated in 2022 for her debut album Thirteen and in 2023 for her work with The Receivers.
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. She also toured with The Receivers in Vermont this past spring.
“It is truly an incredible feeling to be recognized for my art in this beautiful city that I call home,” Millie says. “I am grateful and honoured to be receiving Peterborough Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Award alongside the very talented Nicholas Campbell. 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!”
Another local musical prodigy, Peterborough resident Nicholas Campbell first picked up the guitar at the age of 10, inspired by musicians of the last century including honky-tonk singer-songwriter and guitarist Faron Young and rockabilly singer-songwriter guitarist Brian Setzer (Stray Cats, Brian Setzer Orchestra) and began performing at the age of 11.
In 2021, Nicholas released his debut album Livin’ and Other Western Ideas, backed by his band The Two Meter Cheaters, featuring his own original rockabilly, western swing, and classic honky tonk tunes. The album received airplay from western Canada to Spain and Italy and beyond. Along with fronting The Two Meter Cheaters, Nicholas has also played lead guitar for Melissa Payne, Pat Temple, Jane Archer, and other musicians.
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With their upcoming new album Gonna Have A Ball Tonight, Nicholas and his band have 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”, Nicholas says. “It’s very humbling to be recognized on a list with so many other great artists.”
Millie and Nicholas join a long list of Peterborough-area musicians who have received the Emerging Artist Award, starting with Millbrook’s Serena Ryder in 2001.
Recipients of the award are given showcase spots at the festival and receive a trip to the Folk Music Ontario annual conference, where they have the opportunity to meet artistic directors, festival organizers, agents and publicists, and other musicians.
Here’s the full list of recipients (no award was given in 2020 due to the pandemic):
- 2023 – Irish Millie / Nicholas Campbell
- 2022 – Nathan Truax
- 2021 – Lauryn Macfarlane
- 2020 – No award
- 2019 – Paper Shakers
- 2018 – Hillary Dumoulin
- 2017 – Mary-Kate Edwards
- 2016 – Nick Procyshyn
- 2015 – Evangeline Gentle
- 2014 – The Lonely Parade
- 2013 – Dylan Ireland
- 2012 – Jos Fortin
- 2011 – Melissa Payne
- 2010 – Kate LeDeuce
- 2009 – Missy Knott
- 2008 – Sean Conway
- 2007 – Dave Simard & Kelly McMichael
- 2006 – Drea Nasager
- 2005 – Benj Rowland
- 2004 – Beau Dixon
- 2003 – Jill Staveley
- 2002 – James McKenty
- 2001 – Serena Ryder
The 2023 Peterborough Folk Festival kicks off with ticketed concerts on Thursday, August 17th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Friday, August 18th at the Gordon Best Theatre, followed by an admission-by-donation weekend of music and more on Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th at Nicholls Oval Park.
The festival has already announced acclaimed alt-rockers Broken Social Scene will be the Saturday headliner and renowned Canadian singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt will be the Sunday headliner, with Juno award-winning children’s music duo Splash’N Boots also performing on Sunday.
Organizers will be announcing the complete line-up of performers soon.
The festival is currently seeking additional food vendors. For more information about the festival, including how to get involved as an artist, volunteer, or vendor, visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the 2023 Peterborough Folk Festival.
