For the sixth consecutive year, Smithsonian Folkways has earned multiple Independent Music Awards as selected by a panel of judges:

• Best Children’s Music Album: Elizabeth Mitchell – Blue Clouds. The clear and beautiful voice of children’s music favorite Elizabeth Mitchell weaves musical landscapes that embrace us with sound in a celebration of family, imagination and love.
• Best World Traditional Album: Various Artists – Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music & Interfaith Harmony in Uganda. The songs in this collection are written and performed by the coffee farmers of the Peace Kawomera (Delicious Peace) Fair Trade cooperative in Mbale, Uganda.
• Best Bluegrass Song: “Fly Around My Blue-eyed Girl/Cripple Creek/Ida Red/Old Joe Clark” by Pete Seeger on Classic Banjo from Smithsonian Folkways. Pete Seeger took the banjo into new musical territory and blazed a trail many have followed.

According to the International Music Awards, these projects are awarded for the totality of artistic excellence based on originality, musicianship, musicality, vocals, recording quality, and other categories.

Including the winners, eight Smithsonian Folkways entries were finalists for the 13th Independent Music Awards. All finalists are also eligible for the Vox Populi, “voice of the people”, awards, determined by fan voting. Voting is open until midnight on Friday, July 18th. Submit your votes by clicking on the links next to the nominations below and by giving each entry a 5 star rating (registration required).

• Various Artists Classic Harmonica Blues (Blues Album) Click here to vote!
• Elizabeth Mitchell Blue Clouds (Children’s Music Album) Click here to vote!
• Elizabeth Mitchell “Blue Clouds” on Blue Clouds (Children’s Song) Click here to vote!
• Various Artists Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music & Interfaith Harmony in Uganda (World Traditional Album) Click here to vote!
• J. J. Keki and The Peace Kawomera Jazz Band “Get Up and Grow Coffee!” on Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music & Interfaith Harmony in Uganda (World Traditional Song) Click here to vote!
• Various Artists Classic Celtic Music from Smithsonian Folkways (World Traditional Album) Click here to vote!
• Pete Seeger “Fly Around My Blue-eyed Girl/Cripple Creek/Ida Red/Old Joe Clark” on Classic Banjo from Smithsonian Folkways (Bluegrass Song) Click here to vote!
• Neal Pattman “Low Down Blues” on Classic Harmonica Blues from Smithsonian Folkways (Blues Song) Click here to vote!