Donovan Woods

Donovan Woods first garnered significant industry recognition with a Juno Award nomination for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo in 2014 for his album ‘Don’t Get Too Grand’, released in 2013. His musical journey began with the release of his debut album, ‘The Hold Up,’ in 2007, followed by ‘The Widowmaker’ in 2010. Woods continued to build his acclaimed discography with ‘Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled’ in 2016, an album that was longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and earned him the English Songwriter of the Year award at the 12th Canadian Folk Music Awards in the same year. His fifth full-length album, ‘Both Ways,’ released in 2018, further cemented his critical acclaim, winning the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in 2019.

He followed this with ‘The Other Way’ in 2019, a companion album featuring acoustic renditions, and ‘Without People’ in 2020. Beyond his solo artistic endeavors, Woods is a highly sought-after songwriter, securing a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music Publishing in Nashville in 2016. He co-wrote the hit ‘Portland, Maine,’ recorded by Tim McGraw, and ‘Leaving Nashville,’ for Charles Kelley of Lady A. His significant contributions to country music include co-writing the number one Canada Country hits ‘Feels Like That’ for The Reklaws and ‘Forever’s Gotta Start Somewhere’ for Chad Brownlee, as well as ‘Chills’ for James Barker Band in 2018.

This latest work has already received critical recognition, being longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2025, continuing his consistent track record of acclaimed releases.