It's springtime in Roanoke, so you know what that means: The Roanoker magazine has just released its annual "Best of Roanoke" issue highlighting favorite events, businesses, and more across the valley. And guess what? We've been recognized in not one, but THREE categories!
Now in it's 38th year, the "Best of Roanoke" awards are a community-nominated list of the city's best and brightest. This year's public vote yielded 535 winners across dozens of categories.
Kinnfolk was recognized in the following categories:
PLATINUM: Best Local Artwork Project for “Kinnfolk Presents: Star Above the Mountain”
GOLD: Best Local Musician/Band of the Year
GOLD: Best Local Social Media Presence
We'll chat about each of these below, but we want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone who nominated and/or voted for us. This is our first year participating in the "Best of Roanoke" awards, and you all sure know how to make us feel special!
PLATINUM: Best Local Artwork Project for “Kinnfolk Presents: Star Above the Mountain”
The "Best Local Artwork Project" category was created this year to celebrate the colorful and innovative artistic community within the Roanoke Valley. It's a brand-new category in 2024, meaning we're the FIRST-EVER platinum recipients!
Sarah Riddell wrote a special feature about this win in the May/June 2024 issue of The Roanoker. Read it here!
"Kinnfolk Presents: Star Above the Mountain" was our 2022-23 Year of the Artist Project, funded by an Arts Matter Grant through the City of Roanoke and The National Endowment for the Arts. We penned a collection of original Celtic folk music exploring the people, geography, and history of Roanoke, VA. The project resulted in 5 new songs, 9 new tunes, and culminated in a SOLD OUT performance at The Spot on Kirk on June 30, 2023!
GOLD: Best Local Musician/Band of the Year
This one is especially astounding to us: that, in a town brimming with talented musicians, performing in a multitude of genres, the community voted us into the top three! We're especially honored that traditional Celtic folk music has a place in listeners' hearts. Thank you, Roanoke!
Here's the full list of 2024 "Best Local Musician/Band of the Year" winners:
PLATINUM: Eric Wayne Band
GOLD: Kinnfolk
SILVER: Jared Stout Band
We have plenty of performances--both local and further afield--lined up for 2024. Check out where we're performing next!
GOLD: Best Local Social Media Presence
This one was such a pleasant surprise for us! We treat our social media presence somewhat like a diary. We write about the places we go, the things we see, and the thoughts/emotions we experience as we explore the world through the lens of Celtic music.
You came along on our honeymoon through Ireland. You cheered us on as we made our first international appearance at the 2023 Goderich Celtic Roots Festival. You hear the tunes we play at our weekly local traditional Irish session. You hear about our friends in the Celtic world, be they business owners, spiritual leaders, artisans, or fellow musicians. You've endured some truly cringe-worthy puns...
...and now you've recognized us as a "Best of Roanoke" social media presence! Thank you all so much. We're so pleased to know that we bring as much value to you as you do to us. Because we love sharing our story with you, and hearing yours in return. Here the links to our social media profiles, if you don't follow us already!
Thank you again to The Roanoker for putting the annual "Best of Roanoke" list together. And to everyone else: thank you, thank you, thank you for your support. That includes voting for us, of course, but also simply cheering us along on our musical journey. We have a long road ahead, and we can't wait to bring you along for the ride!
~Josh & Julie
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