Maria Dunn

Maria Dunn is a JUNO-winning Canadian songwriter and musician who has been described as "an arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter who writes great historical and social commentary." A storyteller through song, her music blends Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences. Born in Scotland, she moved as a child with her family to Ontario and has made Edmonton, Alberta her base since the 1990s. As a child, she studied classical piano and sang in several community choirs, and later studied psychology at the University of Alberta. From 1987 to 2000, she hosted a weekly folk music program on the U of A's campus/community radio, CJSR. Immersing herself in folk music in this way, she gravitated towards writing her own songs. Maria Dunn won the 2022 JUNO Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year for "Joyful Banner Blazing," which was also a 2022 Western Canadian Music Award nominee. Other major nominations and wins include: 2017 JUNO Award nominee and 2017 Western Canadian Music Award nominee for "Gathering," which won the 2016 Edmonton Music Prize; 2013 Canadian Folk Music Award nominee for "Piece By Piece"; 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award nominee for "The Peddler"; 2002 JUNO Award nominee for "For A Song"; and 1999 Prairie Music Award nominee for "From Where I Stand." "Joyful Banner Blazing" is her seventh album in a career spanning over 20 years. Maria Dunn's commitment to social justice themes and historical storytelling has made her an important voice in Canadian folk music.

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