Miss Emily wins second Female Vocalist of the Year at Maple Blues Awards

Earlier this week, Emily Fennell, better known to her fans as Miss Emily, took home the Female Vocalist of the Year award from the Maple Blues Awards in Toronto.

The award ceremony was held on Monday, Jun. 20, 2022, and this year’s win bookends her 2020 award in the same category, according to a release from Fennell’s management.

Fennell, a singer-songwriter who’s been performing for more than 20 years, has had a banner year so far. In March, she was a Juno nominee for Blues Album of the Year, recognizing her album LIVE at the Isabel. In May, she won the International Songwriting Competition for her song ‘Three Words,’ and now she’s a two-time recipient of Canada’s national award for female blues vocalists.

According to those with Fennell’s management, after her first “jaw-dropping” appearance at the Toronto Blues Society’s Blues Summit three years ago, she has moved from provincial to national and international recognition. Her 2019 Canadian tour stretched from Nanaimo to Fredericton and was followed by 2020 Maple Blues awards for New Artist, Female Vocalist, and the inaugural Sapphire Blues video award for ‘Hold Back the River.’

Celebrated in her adopted hometown of Kingston, this Prince Edward County native holds the record for sellouts at Kingston’s Isabel Bader Center for the Performing Arts, which prompted the release of LIVE at the Isabel and its subsequent Juno nomination for Blues Album of the Year, according to the release.

On Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, Fennell will release her newest album Defined by Love. Produced by Canadian blues stalwart Steve Marriner, Fennell’s management said that Defined by Love is her diary of a year filled with confusion, anger, lost relationships, and found humanity.

“Defined by Love has been one of the greatest gifts of my career thus far,” Fennell said. “Getting to work with the super-human Steve Marriner and a slew of friendly, kind and talented musicians and singers helped to infuse this album with so much goodness and love. My heart is so full.”

This fall, Fennell will be touring Canada, the US, the UK, and Europe to promote Defined by Love and, according to the release, she’ll be making special appearances with The Legendary Downchild Blues Band during some of their dates in Western Canada.

Learn more about Miss Emily, including tour information on her website.