New Folk Winners 1999    

From some 500 applications, Rod Kennedy picked 32 New Folk Finalists to appear Saturday and Sunday May 29-30.  Each finalist sang 2 songs and had about 10 minutes.   From the 32 emerged 6 Award winners who  gave 20  minute sets on
June 6.

The first award winner was Suzanne Buirgy of Ventra CA, the 8th finalist to perform on Saturday.  Ray Bonneville from Nashville TN was finalist 11.

Mitch Barrett of Berea KY and Diane Zeigler of Montpelier VT rounded out Saturday's contestants.

Sunday had a winner right off the bat in Jeff Berkley from San Diego CA.  The 32nd finalist to perform was the 6th Award winner, Mark Erelli from Amherst MA.

Overall, this seemed to me to be the strongest New Folk class in the last 5 years.   Several excellent songwriters missed out, including David Bailey from Stafford VA, Lena & Sanford Markley from Silver Spring MD, Justin Wells of San Anselmo CA,   and Jay Howlett from Pacifica CA.  For comic relief, Charlie Buenger & Bill Gerick of Waco TX deserved an honorable mention.