Evan Rotella receives 2025 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award
Folk singer-songwriter Evan Rotella (Niagara Falls) is this year’s recipient of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC)’s Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for his song “Maryanne” off his sophomore album Last Train Home. (Listen on Soundcloud, Spotify or at his website.)
EEvan will receive the prize from OAC Awards Officer Carolyn Gloude during the Ontario Folk Music Awards on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The event is part of Folk Music Ontario’s (FMO) annual conference.
About Evan Rotella
- Evan has been playing live music for nearly a decade. He has performed across the Niagara Region, throughout Southern and Eastern Ontario, and at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where Bruce Springsteen started his career.
- Evan released his debut album, Happy To Be Here, in 2023.
- The song “Maryanne” is from Evan’s sophomore album, Last Train Home, which won the Niagara Music Awards Folk Album of the Year in 2025.
- Evan has opened shows for Steven Page, The Wilderness, Miss Emily, Honeymoon Suite, Wheatus, and Steve Earle, among others.
- He is now collaborating with members of The Trews on his next album.
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The jury that selected “Maryanne” for the Peterson Award described the song as "Stunning. Simply stunning,” and highlighted Evan’s writing and delivery. They commended the song’s simplicity and theme, describing it as “an empathic portrait of the folks we may choose to ignore and the voices that we may choose to tune out.”
About the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award
- The Colleen Peterson Songwriting Fund was established at the OAC in 2003 by Peterson’s sister, Shirley Richardson, and her friend, singer-songwriter Laura Bird.
- The annual $1,000 award honours Peterson’s contribution to Canadian music by supporting and promoting the work of Ontario’s emerging singer-songwriters in the roots, traditional, folk and country genres.
- Nominations are received from FMO’s Songs From the Heart competition. FMO also assembles the jury of musicians and industry professionals that chooses the award winner.
- Previous winners include Leah Holtom (2024), Just Prince (2023), and Camie (2022). Click here for a full list of past recipients.