Evan Rotella thought he was being scammed when he got the call notifying him he won a prestigious music award.
A fourth-year media and communication student at Brock University, Evan Rotella received the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for “Maryanne,” a folk song on his album Last Train Home, released in December 2024. The song tells the story of a transgender girl who struggles to fit into society and find a hero she can admire.
“I think this song in particular was a song that got chosen because it highlighted people in society that maybe we don’t choose to think of, talk about, or understand,” Evan Rotella said.
The Colleen Peterson songwriting fund was developed after her passing to honour the contributions she made to the music industry. Peterson’s friends and family reached out to the Ontario Arts Council to create a prize fund that would support emerging artists who composed and performed music in the same genres as her, such as folk, country, and bluegrass.
The OAC works in collaboration with Ontario Folk Music to award this annual prize in Ontario. A jury reviews applications for the $1,000 award and determines which song they consider best of the year.
“‘Maryanne'” is simply stunning. Simplicity is all it takes for a song like this … Rotella creates an enigmatic portrait of one of the many that we too frequently tune out,” the jury said in a written statement to OAC.
The award was presented to Evan Rotella at the Ontario Music Folk Awards that took place at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre on Oct. 15.
Carolyn Gloude, an awards officer for the OAC, said the prize allows artists to get recognition from their peers when starting their careers.
“The award is a great way to reinforce to the emerging singer or songwriter that they’re on the right path, and that what they’re doing is contributing to the overall music community,” Gloude said.
For Evan Rotella, the award is significant as it confirms that people appreciate and enjoy his music.
“It meant a lot because you can like your own songs and that’s great because you’re trying to fulfill something with yourself, but when someone else tells you that you’re doing a good job, it’s really nice,” he said.
Dave Rotella, father and manager of Evan Rotella, said working in music has been something Evan Rotella has wanted to do his whole life.
“I mean, his first show was when he was 11, and when he was 12 he played on a stage for the first time opening a show for the great Willie Nile with two songs, and I saw this little kid with a big guitar and a lot of passion,” Dave Rotella said.
The hard work and dedication Evan Rotella has towards his music have not gone unnoticed by his family. Dave Rotella notes that the long hours his son has put into his craft have paid off, and now he is being asked to write with important people, such as the Trews, a Canadian rock band.
Dave Rotella said he was met with feelings of pride and vindication as he watched his son receive the award.
“I’ve been proud of him for years. To see him standing there holding that award and also seeing him handle himself so well … It was my proudest moment,” Dave Rotella said.
Evan Rotella is continuing to make his mark on the music industry, releasing his next single, “Cut the Music,” on Nov. 21 in collaboration with the Trews.