This is a list of folk musicians, sorted by country, with some sub-categories based on region, style, or gender. Not all are strictly folk musicians, but all are renowned for their contributions to folk music.
Albania
Eli Fara Fatime Sokoli Nikollë Nikprelaj
Andean
Savia Andina
Argentina
Huldreslåt Mercedes Sosa Eduardo Falu Jorge Cafrune Ariel Ramirez Los Fronterizos Pescado Rabioso
Armenia
Djivan Gasparyan Udi Hrant Gor Mkhitarian
Australia
Paul Kelly Blue King Brown Eric Bogle Sarah Blasko Boy And Bear Kasey Chambers Slim Dusty Steve Gadd Roaring Jack Matthew John Corby Vance Joy Lisa Mitchell Siobhan Owen The Seekers Judy Small Angus & Julia Stone Hana Stretton The Waifs
Indigenous Australians
Kerrianne Cox David Hudson Archie Roach
Azerbaijan
Mugham
Ashik
Ali Ekber Çiçek Aşık Mahzuni Şerif Aşık Khanlar Aşık Veysel Neşet Ertaş Aşiq Ələsgər Jivani Sayat-Nova Karacaoğlan Kul Nesîmî Pir Sultan Abdal
Bangladesh
Lalon Hason Raja Abbasuddin Ahmed Shah Abdul Karim Momtaz Begum Habib Wahid Farida Parveen Salma Akhter Bari Siddiqui Ferdausi Rahman Abdur Rahman Boyati
Bolivia Asunta Limpias de Parada
Brazil Anavitória Cartola
Bulgaria
The Bisserov Sisters Bistritsa Babi Bulgarka Junior Quartet Pirin Folk Ensemble Svetoglas Trio Bulgarka
Canada
A–M
Susan Aglukark The Band Del Barber Kim Barlow Be Good Tanyas Heather Bishop La Bolduc La Bottine Souriante Oscar Brand Tim Chaisson City and Colour Bruce Cockburn Leonard Cohen Stompin' Tom Connors The Cottars Les Colocs Crash Vegas Bonnie Dobson Luke Doucet Wilf Doyle The Duhks Fred Eaglesmith Kathleen Edwards Stephen Fearing Ferron Serge Fiori Jeremy Fisher Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band David Francey Ginalina The Grapes of Wrath Great Big Sea Great Lake Swimmers Norm Hacking Sarah Harmer Harmonium Hart-Rouge Wade Hemsworth The Hidden Cameras Veda Hille Ian & Sylvia Reid Jamieson James Keelaghan Mary Jane Lamond k.d. lang Abigail Lapell Leah Gordon Lightfoot Old Man Luedecke Ashley MacIsaac Buddy MacMaster Natalie MacMaster Rita MacNeil Kate & Anna McGarrigle Loreena McKennitt Murray McLauchlan Lynn Miles Alan Mills Joni Mitchell
N–Z
Jory Nash Faith Nolan The Paperboys Evalyn Parry Po' Girl Le Rêve du Diable Garnet Rogers Nathan Rogers Stan Rogers Buffy Sainte-Marie Ron Sexsmith Rae Spoon The Travellers Lucie Blue Tremblay Valdy Le Vent du Nord The Wailin' Jennys Loudon Wainwright III Dawud Wharnsby Jesse Winchester Ken Yates Neil Young
Chile
Víctor Jara Violeta Parra
Czech Republic
Moravia
Karel Kryl Jaromír Nohavica
Denmark
Helene Blum Jullie Hjetland Rune T. Kidde Nina & Frederik
Estonia
Liisu Mägi
Finland
Timo Alakotila Angelit Frigg Gjallarhorn Islaja Arto Järvelä Mauno Järvelä JPP Konsta Jylhä Sari Kaasinen Maria Kalaniemi Sanna Kurki-Suonio Loituma Värttinä Jenny Wilhelms Wimme
France
Sacha Distel Maxime Le Forestier Malicorne Gus Viseur
Brittany
Dan Ar Braz Jean Chocun Jean-Paul Corbineau Jean-Louis Jossic Kornog Alan Stivell Tri Yann Nolwenn Leroy
Greece
Aristidis Moschos Chronis Aidonidis Haris Alexiou Rosa Eskenazi Glykeria Mariza Koch Marika Papagika Giorgos Papasideris Domna Samiou
Hungary
Ági Szalóki Márta Sebestyén Muzsikás Zoltan Kodály The Moon and the Nightspirit
Iceland Of Monsters & Men Bara Grimsdottir
India
Indian female folk singers
A–G
Ila Arun Malini Awasthi Allah Jilai Bai Gulab Bai Teejan Bai Dipali Barthakur Parvathy Baul Chinnaponnu Anima Choudhury Anupama Deshpande Bindhyabasini Devi Gambhari Devi Vinjamuri Seetha Devi Shreya Ghoshal Dolly Guleria
H–S
Vishaka Hari Abhaya Hiranmayi Jagmohan Kaur Kollangudi Karuppayee Jagjit Kaur Parkash Kaur Ranjit Kaur Surinder Kaur Anitha Kuppusamy Belli Lalitha Swaran Lata (singer) Hildamit Lepcha Kumari Kanchan Dinkerao Mail Manpreet Akhtar Lopamudra Mitra Paravai Muniyamma Rockstar Ramani Ammal Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan Nooran Sisters Pratima Barua Pandey Kalpana Patowary Malika Pukhraj Rajnigandha Shekhawat Meena Rana Sheetal Sathe Thanjai Selvi Sharda Sinha Sithara (singer)
T–Z
Vangapandu Usha Vimalakka Hira Devi Waiba Navneet Aditya Waiba
Indian male folk singers A–G
A.R. Akela Abdul Alim (folk singer) Guda Anjaiah Sukhraj Aujla Pammi Bai Papon (singer) Rasamayi Balakishan Patthe Bapurao Paban Das Baul Bhopa S. D. Burman Hemant Chauhan Anthony Daasan Jhusia Damai Bipul Chettri Gaddar Bhikhudan Gadhvi Karnail Gill Habib Painter
H–S
Hans Raj Hans Balappa Hukkeri Lal Chand Yamla Jatt Kalekuri Prasad Avtar Singh Kang H. R. Keshava Murthy Ateeq Hussain Khan Kachra Khan Sabar Koti Khagen Mahanta Asa Singh Mastana Morup Namgyal Naranappa Uppoor Shishir Parkhie Rameshwar Pathak Adarsh Rathore Wilfy Rebimbus Devdatta Sable Shahir Krishnarao Sable Master Saleem Purna Das Baul Satinder Sartaaj Madan Gopal Singh Ghulam Hassan Sofi Deshapati Srinivas
T–Z
Prahlad Tipanya Vitthal Umap Wadali Brothers Warsi Brothers
Ireland
ALT Altan Mary Black Luka Bloom The Bothy Band Paul Brady Kevin Burke Karan Casey The Chieftains The Clancy Brothers Liam Clancy Willie Clancy Clannad Michael Coleman The Corrs The Cranberries De Danann Dervish Cara Dillon Johnny Doran The Dubliners Séamus Egan Energy Orchard Seamus Ennis Brian Finnegan Orla Gartland Frankie Gavin Goats Don't Shave Len Graham Lisa Hannigan Frank Harte Martin Hayes Andy Irvine The Johnstons Dolores Keane Frankie Kennedy Sinéad Lohan Lúnasa Dónal Lunny Tommy Makem Michael McGoldrick Matt Molloy Christy Moore James Morrison Van Morrison Johnny Moynihan Máire Ní Chathasaigh Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Maura O'Connell Liam O'Flynn Sally Oldfield Patrick Street Planxty The Pogues Fionn Regan Damien Rice Micho Russell Sharon Shannon Davy Spillane Paddy Tunney The Waterboys Andy White The Wolfe Tones
Israel
Chava Alberstein David Broza Bradley Fish Mark Eliyahu Aviva Semadar
Italy
Adamo Carlo Buti Francesco Guccini Fabrizio De André
Japan
Rinken Band
Mexico
Joan Sebastian
Netherlands
Omnia
New Zealand
Avalanche City Martin Curtis Flight of the Conchords Luke Hurley Bic Runga Mahinarangi Tocker Topp Twins Marcus Turner
Nigeria Brymo
Norway
Frigg Myllarguten Annbjørg Lien Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag
Peru
Wayno
Philippines
Freddie Aguilar
Romania Veta Biriș
Russian Federation
Nadezhda Babkina Jeanne Bichevskaya Marina Devyatova Nadezhda Kadysheva Sasha Lazard Maria Mordasova Pelageya Ivan Rebroff Lidiya Ruslanova Terem Quartet Varvara Olga Voronets Yuta (singer) Zolotoe Koltso Lyudmila Zykina
Slovenia
Slavko Avsenik Atomik Harmonik
South Africa
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Mahotella Queens Miriam Makeba David Kramer
Spain
La Musgaña Llan de Cubel Hevia Luar Na Lubre Jorge Pardo Carlos Núñez Radio Tarifa Narciso Yepes
Sweden
First aid kit Francis Frifot Garmarna Per Gudmundson Emma Härdelin Hedningarna Pehr Hörberg Åsa Jinder Sofia Karlsson Hållbus Totte Mattson Ale Möller Anders Norudde Swåp The Tallest Man On Earth Roger Tallroth Triakel Väsen Lena Willemark
Tibet
Yungchen Lhamo
Turkey
Altın Gün Aşık Veysel Güler Duman Muhlis Akarsu Belkis Akkale Selda Bağcan Ali Ekber Cicek Nesimi Çimen Musa Eroğlu Sabahat Akkiraz Lalezar Ensemble Musa Eroğlu Neşet Ertaş Hasret Gültekin Udi Hrant Ahmet Kaya Erkan Oğur Arif Sağ Baba Zula
Tuva
Huun-Huur-Tu Kongar-ol Ondar
Ukraine Taisia Povaliy
United Kingdom
England
A–M
Mike Absalom Harvey Andrews Joan Armatrading Frankie Armstrong Badly Drawn Boy Roy Bailey James Bay Peter Bellamy Birdy Blowzabella Jon Boden Bombay Bicycle Club Billy Bragg Anne Briggs Jake Bugg Vashti Bunyan Eliza Carthy Martin Carthy Jim Causley Dolly Collins Shirley Collins Coope Boyes and Simpson Pete Cooper Copper family Harry Cox Andy Cutting Sandy Denny Dodie Lonnie Donegan Nick Drake Barry Dransfield Nigel Eaton Edward II Emmy the Great George Ezra Fairport Convention Newton Faulkner Flook Chris Foster Jo Freya Vin Garbutt Goblin Band Davey Graham David Gray Clive Gregson John Wesley Harding Bella Hardy Roy Harper Boo Hewerdine Robyn Hitchcock Ben Howard Ashley Hutchings Bert Jansch Nic Jones Wizz Jones Fred Jordan Sandra Kerr William Kimber John Kirkpatrick Chris Leslie Bert Lloyd Jez Lowe Kirsty MacColl Laura Marling John Martyn Iain Matthews Kirsty McGee Ralph McTell Pete Morton Mumford and Sons
N–Z
Simon Nicol Old Swan Band Beth Orton Oysterband Roo Panes Passenger Brian Peters Maddy Prior John Renbourn Lucy Rose Saul Rose Kate Rusby Marlon Sahota Martin Simpson Slow Club John Spiers The Staves Steeleye Span Cat Stevens Stornoway The Story Joe Summers Dave Swarbrick Sam Sweeney June Tabor John Tams Jeremy Taylor TESS Scan Tester Jake Thackray Richard Thompson Teddy Thompson Frank Turner Karen Tweed Uiscedwr Ward Thomas Lal Waterson Norma Waterson The Watersons Lewis Watson Whippersnapper Roger Wilson Chris Wood The Young Tradition
Cornwall
Dalla Fisherman's Friends Brenda Wootton
Northumbria
Jack Armstrong John Armstrong (of Carrick) Tommy Armstrong Will Atkinson Tom Clough Johnny Handle George Hepple Joe Hutton Jack the Lad James Hill Nancy Kerr Billy Pigg Jock Purdon Colin Ross Kathryn Tickell Robert Whinham The Witches of Elswick Jez Lowe
Isle of Man
Christine Collister
Ruth Keggin
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Aidan O'Rourke Alistair Hulett Alasdair Roberts Aly Bain Amy MacDonald Archie Fisher Battlefield Band Bert Jansch Billy Connolly Capercaillie Catriona MacDonald Dick Gaughan Duncan Chisholm Donovan Eric Bogle Ewan MacColl Gordon Duncan Ian Campbell Folk Group Ivan Drever James Mackintosh John McCusker Johnny Cunningham Julie Fowlis Karine Polwart Kris Drever Lau Linda Thompson Martyn Bennett Matt McGinn Phil Cunningham Rachel Hair Shooglenifty Sìleas Silly Wizard Simon Thoumire Skipinnish The Corries The House Band The Incredible String Band The McCalmans The Tannahill Weavers Tom Anderson Wolfstone
Wales
Fernhill Jack Harris Mary Hopkin Sian James Ceri Rhys Matthews Julie Murphy Siobhan Owen Siân Phillips Phil Tanner
United States
Appalachian
Clarence Ashley Joe Bethancourt Dock Boggs Fleming Brown Dick Burnett Guy Carawan Sara Carter Stoney Cooper Hazel Dickens Roscoe Holcomb Tommy Jarrell Kossoy Sisters Wilma Lee Bascom Lamar Lunsford New Lost City Ramblers Uncle Charlie Osborne Jean Ritchie Sam Rizzetta Loraine Wyman Doc Watson Uncle Dave Macon Charlie Poole Possessed by Paul James Rising Appalachia
Cajun and zydeco
Fernest Arceneaux Amédé Ardoin Chris Ardoin Dewey Balfa BeauSoleil Bobby Charles Boozoo Chavis C. J. Chenier Clifton Chenier Geno Delafose John Delafose Keith Frank Queen Ida Beau Jocque Rosie Ledet D. L. Menard Jimmy C. Newman Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys Rockin' Dopsie Rockin' Sidney Amanda Shaw Terrance Simien Jo-El Sonnier Nathan Williams Buckwheat Zydeco Zydeco Force
General 0–9 10,000 Maniacs A–C
The Accidentals Derroll Adams A Fragile Tomorrow The Almanac Singers Eric Andersen Jamie Anderson Joan Baez Devendra Banhart Barnaby Robin Batteau Dan Bern Leon Bibb Theodore Bikel Billy Pilgrim David Blue Hugh Blumenfeld Dock Boggs Gordon Bok Ralston Bowles Bryan Bowers Oscar Brand Brewer & Shipley Chuck Brodsky David Bromberg Jonatha Brooke The Brothers Four Greg Brown Jeff Buckley Tim Buckley David Buskin The Byrds Rolf Cahn Andrew Calhoun Hamilton Camp Guy Carawan Mary Chapin Carpenter Liz Carroll Dave Carter Chad Mitchell Trio Len Chandler Harry Chapin Tracy Chapman The Chenille Sisters Cherish the Ladies Vic Chesnutt Frank Christian Meg Christian The Civil Wars Paul Clayton Slaid Cleaves Shana Cleveland Judy Collins Lui Collins Shawn Colvin Annette Conlon Michael Cooney Matt Costa Elizabeth Cotten Counting Crows Jesse Welles Jim Croce Mike Cross Sis Cunningham Catie Curtis
D–F
Barbara Dane Erik Darling The Decemberists Grey DeLisle Kris Delmhorst Iris DeMent John Denver Ani DiFranco Alice Di Micele disappear fear Alix Dobkin DW (Dave) Drouillard Antje Duvekot Richard Dyer-Bennet Bob Dylan Eddie from Ohio Seamus Egan Cass Elliot Ramblin' Jack Elliott Mark Erelli