Thank you to all the performers and audience members at the Awards night at last night’s Kunanyi Folk Club.

The evening was a fabulous showcase of many of the entries. The audience sang along, laughed along, listened with intent and deliberation, awaiting to find out who the judges had decided (previously) were the winners . Finally at the end of the night the audience gave their collective judgement. In the words of the Awards co-ordinator himself, Peter Hicks, “there were many really good ones to choose from” making it a tough job for our judges. Thank you very much to our judges (one of whom stepped in at relatively short notice) for all their time, consideration and decision-making.

Most importantly the committee gives its appreciation to the co-ordinator and driver of the Awards, Peter Hicks.

The results are as follows:

2026 FFT Inc Song and Tune Award Winners

Song Category (The Mike Silverwood Award): Take Me Home by Audrey Rowe and Rose Lonergan

Tune: Grafton Street by Greg Woodward

Under 19 (1 of 2): Words By Words by Minna Pribac

Under 19 (2 of 2) : Paint the Light by August Walter

Social and Environmental Justice Award: Toogelow Whale Song by Greg Wells

People’s Choice: The Franklin Set by Tiger Myrtle (a composite set of Anna Ritchie’s tune Storm Bay and Jonathan Duddles’ On the Wild Franklin)

All well deserved. Everyone was a winner Saturday night (including the audience), but some got an award too!

See https://folktas.org/tunes/song-and-tune-competition/ if you’d like more info about the Awards. Currently they’re run annually – it’s never too late to start composing…